Sugar & Stars – REVIEW

It seems as though at the moment on streaming services there’s a glut of all things culinary, with The Bear, The Menu, reruns of Anthony Bourdain and countless reality shows crowding the small screen.

Sugar and Stars, (À la Belle étoile), which screened at the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2023, brings another tale of pastry to the larger screen. It’s based on the autobiography of Yazid Ichemrahen, who, against all odds, became the 2014 world champion of frozen desserts. His book, delightfully titled How Pastry Saved His life And Educated Himhas been adapted by director Sébastien Tulard’s as his feature debut.

Having an “influencer” in the lead was an intriguing idea which could easily have gone terribly wrong, however Riadh Belaïch stepped up and even undertook training as a pâtissier and ice sculptor for it. Known for his comedy skits on social media, Riadh brings a dramatic credibility to the role as we watch his innate ability to create fanciful deserts for his restaurant while dealing with a past that continues to haunt him.

The use of music in the film is an interesting mix between the classical music that accompanies Yazid’s cooking accomplishments and the rap music during his time in the group home where he lived as an adolescent. Chosen by Brice Davoli, the rap could have seemed invasive, but it complements Yazid’s struggles to attract attention to his craft.

All in all, a film which could easily have been just a delicious frothy concoction has some steel to it and beckons upward career moves for director Sébastien Tulard and each of the actors playing Yazid, in particular Riadh Belaïch.

★★★

In cinemas now