Critics score:
Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: A landmark in world cinema not merely for sheer grandeur but also attention to dense authenticity. Read more
Elvis Mitchell, New York Times: A costume drama with far more costumes than drama. Read more
Richard T. Jameson, Mr. Showbiz: Vatel is not only pate and truffles to the eyes but a bracingly Olympian analysis of how history happens. Read more
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: It's too turgid with its own upholstered pomp. Read more