Those wishing to see a relaxing and pleasant film in the middle of the hot and heavy summer movie season should enjoy “The Hundred-Foot Journey.”
With such notables attached to the project as Stephen Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey as executive producers, Lasse Hallstrom as director and Helen Mirren in a lead role, the potential for quality is high.
Based upon the novel by Richard C. Morais and adapted for the screen by Steven Knight (“Eastern Promises”), “The Hundred-Foot Journey” thrives under the guidance of Hallstrom, a proven director with an impressive list of films that includes “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Chocolat” and “The Cider House Rules.”
‘Journey” is the story of the Hadam family, which while in the second generation of operating a restaurant in India suffer tragedy and loss during a post-election uprising. The family flees to London but cannot fit in there, and takes to the road looking for a new home.
The leader of the family is Papa (Om Puri), a gentle but stubborn father. One of his sons, Hassan (Manish Dayal), has shown exceptional potential to be a chef of Indian cuisine, so Papa hopes to settle the family somewhere and start anew in the restaurant business.
Fate lands them in the outskirts of the town of Lumiere near the French Alps, where the Hadams are temporarily taken in by young Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon). In this town Papa finds an old closed-down restaurant facility for sale and despite the warnings of his children, purchases the property.
There is a problem, however. This property is located right across the street from a renowned French restaurant owned and operated by the steadfast and disciplined Madame Mallory (Mirren), a perfectionist and one whose eatery serves as a training ground for superb chefs.
Amid the negativity around him, Papa is optimistic his restaurant can draw customers because it will offer Indian rather than French cuisine. Naturally, Madame Mallory does not take kindly the intrusion upon her restaurant monopoly — and her pursuit of attaining a two-star or more Michelin rating, sort of like the Oscars of the restaurant business — thus the butting of heads between her and Papa, two obstinate people, commences, with the mayor (Michel Blanc) caught in the middle — but well fed as each owner plies him with tasty entrees.
The other story focuses on Hassan and Marguerite, where an obvious attraction is stymied because she is employed in Madame Mallory’s restaurant, thus are friendly foes. The relationship is strained more because both are striving to become master chefs, and as Hassan’s talents become more recognized, Marguerite is torn between her affection for the young man and her envy of him.
Hallstrom uses scenes of food preparation — which can whet appetites — to symbolize the intense competition between Mallory and the Hadams. In one clever sequence, the act of chopping up ingredients during food preparation illustrates the urgency of each restaurant to excel and beat the other.
The interplay between the characters is the key to this movie, with Puri and Mirren splendidly portraying two people accustomed to being in charge and getting their way. Yet as they engage in a war of wits, mutual respect, and more, seems inevitable.
Le Bon and Dayal also show chemistry as two young people struggling with their attachment to each other while other factors prevent them from realizing affection for one another.
A beautifully photographed film, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” has the right emotional touches, along with humor and psychological insight. It is wonderfully cast, and yes, the food serves as a yummy supporting star.
