MOVIE REVIEW: The Hundred-Foot Journey

How can not one resist movies that celebrate food? From Denmark's 1987 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film Babette's Feast (Babettes gaestbud), to 1992's blockbuster hit from Mexico Like Water For Chocolate (Como Agua Para Chocolate), 2009's Meryl Streep's Julie and Julia as well as Pixar's animated classic Ratatouille and this year's indie sensation Chef directed and starred by Jon Favreau. They are the equivalent of comfort food that will nourish your well-being after watching it.

The Hundred-Foot Journey joins the list, directed by Lasse Halstrom, it basically continues where his other food movie Chocolat left off, on a idyllic French town where it revolves around food. Add a little spice when a family from another culture arrives and the result is one spectacular visually appealing comic drama.

When the Kadam family, whose patriarch (Om Puri) owns a restaurant in Mumbai, flees to Europe after a tragedy struck them, they begin to start a new life on a new continent with only their skills as their assets. They eventually setted down on the Midi-Pyrenes region of France where they bought an old house turned it into a restaurant only to earn the ire of their neighbor right across the street, the famed restaurateur Madame Getrude Mallory (Helen Mirren), whose first class eatery suddenly found competition right in front of them.

Naturally conflict of cultures ensues but from it's all about Hassan Kadam's (Manish Dayal) coming of age, from his Papa's dutiful son in the kitchen to Madame Mallory's apprentice in the kitchen. That's where the title was lifted from: the steps you take to make it from both restaurants. 

To add the icing on the cake, Mirren portrays Mallory with such great presence that her transformation, from being icy cold,  when she takes her rival's son to her fold is flawless. She also has great chemistry with Puri and the film's best scenes are when the two of them are together. 

The Hundred-Foot Journey is one film that will stimulate the senses and better be ready to find a place to eat after watching the movie. You'll sure be hungry.

MOVIE REVIEW: Guardians of the Galaxy

The Marvel Universe expands again in film with Guardians of the Galaxy, based on the lesser known comic book series in the seventies, however things will change once moviegoers discover it's charm and heart in a film that's a well written space comic adventure, does not take itself seriously and the characters know how to make fun of themselves.

The team is lead by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a bounty hunter who was abducted as a child after a tragedy befall him. He is joined by green-skinned humanoid Gamora (Zoe Saldana whose features of her character echoes her most popular one, Neyteri of Avatar), a genetically mutated raccoon Rocket (Bradley Cooper in an unrecognizable yet excellent vocal performance) and a tough yet gentle treelike creature Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel channeling his earlier The Iron Giant animated character with a heart). Oscar nominees Glenn Close, Djimon Hounsou and John C. Reilly as well as Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro, whose character of The Collector was introduced at the end credits of Thor: The Dark World also join in the fun.

With pop culture references, music that ventures into Quentin Tarantino territory and great visual effects amidst a sea of colors; Guardians of the Galaxy is the freshest and most fun popcorn flick so far for the summer movie season of 2014. I can know say that right after The Avengers, Marvel Studios are at it's best when they make ensemble films such as this.