--- title: "Babette's Feast: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/babettes-feast/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/babettes-feast" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Babette's Feast (1987): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 10 reviews: 8 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics warm to Babette’s Feast, and the reviews are strikingly steady across the twenty-five years they span. The praise gathers around the same table: the banquet itself, which several reviewers describe as sumptuous and regenerative, and the way Axel lets it become a quiet reckoning for villagers who have spent their lives refusing pleasure. Audran’s performance draws particular admiration, as do the restraint of the storytelling and the film’s handling of exile, self-sacrifice and thwarted love. More than one critic insists it is a parable rather than middlebrow comfort. The reservations are few and mild. Time Out finds the film cosy and appetising but slightly complacent, pitched at less adventurous viewers, and that is the nearest thing to a dissent. Nobody argues the film is bad; the spread runs from admiring to rapturous, and the gap is mostly a matter of how much weight a gentle drama can be asked to carry. ## Radio Times — Robyn Karney Rating ★★★★★. Karney says the film deserved its Oscar and reached audiences beyond the limits of subtitles. She praises its ability to capture the imagination of cinema-goers everywhere. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-3rchnw/babettes-feast/) ## Los Angeles Times — SHEILA BENSON Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 1988. Benson gives the film an enthusiastic, deeply appreciative verdict, presenting it as a tribute to artistic expression. She especially praises Axel’s delicate storytelling and the sumptuous staging of the feast. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-25-ca-200-story.html) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film serenely joyous, poignant and funny. They especially praise Audran’s performance and the lavish banquet’s mouthwatering, regenerative effect. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/37e3d410-7277-543e-b472-5ee70acea72c/babettes-gstebud) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 November 2012. Parkinson gives the film a warmly positive verdict, calling it sensual and intoxicating. He singles out its impeccable production and performances for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/babette-feast-review/) ## The Independent — Anthony Quinn Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2012. Quinn finds the film’s gentle drama still enchanting and says it is especially strong on exile, self-sacrifice and thwarted love. He also praises its evocative depiction of food, particularly the feast. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/babette-s-feast-u-8413469.html) ## Slant Magazine — Bill Weber Rating 4/5. 22 July 2013. Weber regards the film as a sublime, transporting parable rather than sentimental middlebrow fare. He praises the climactic dinner sequence for making Babette’s artistry a source of grace and emotional clarity. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/babettes-feast/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2012. Bradshaw finds the story still charming and beguiling 25 years on. He praises its transformation of a sumptuous banquet into a reckoning with the pleasures the villagers have long denied themselves. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/dec/13/babettes-feast-review) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 March 1988. The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. I can’t verify what the review singles out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/04/movies/film-babette-s-feast.html) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 3/5. 11 December 2012. Huddleston finds the film cosy and appetising, but slightly complacent. He singles out its accessible, inviting period atmosphere while noting its familiar appeal to less adventurous viewers. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/babettes-feast) ## HeyUGuys — Dave Roper Rating 4.5/5. 19 April 2013. The review finds the film an excellent, affecting antidote to bombastic modern filmmaking. It especially praises the delicately handled banquet and the film’s simplicity and elegance. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/babettes-feast-dvd-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/babettes-feast.md