by Demetria Ma
staff writer
With its picturesque setting and mouthwatering foods, the story of two contrasting cultures comes alive on the big screen in Lasse Hallstrom’s “The Hundred Foot Journey.” Starring Helen Mirren and Om Puri as rivaling restaurateurs in the southern region of France, this feel-good summer film can be enjoyed by viewers of all ages.
The light-hearted drama follows the Mumbai family’s move to France after a tragic fire left their business in ruins. They are given the opportunity to reestablish their restaurant when they happen upon a vacant building. Inevitably, Papa (Puri), a father of five, becomes rivals with Madame Mallory (Mirren), who heads the classical French eatery a hundred feet across the way.
In an act of violence against the newcomers, Papa’s son Hassan (Manish Dayal) is injured. Hassan, a talented cook, develops an immediate fascination with French cuisine and falls for Madame’s sous-chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon). His talents soon become recognized, and he is swept away to the metropolis where he furthers his career. However, Hasaan’s divergence from his traditions is under-emphasized, which causes confusion when he suddenly develops a case of homesickness.
The plot line of the story is unsurprising, and the passive-aggressive attitude Le Bon lends her character later on feels slightly awkward in this mild, fairy-tale-esque film. However, the emphasis that “food is memories” from the novel is well adapted in the film by screenwriter Steven Knight. The transition through the seasons are also nicely shown through director of photography Linus Sandgren’s camera- and fireworks.
Although it retains a vanilla tone from start to finish, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a very family-friendly film that will leave viewers with a warm feeling and an urge to venture out to make new culinary explorations of their own.
