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.
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