The Hundred Foot Journey – A Foodie Movie Review

hundred foot journeyfoodie movie review in fourpoints aug 19,2014

  • Director: Lasse Hallström
  • Producers: Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Juliet Blake
  • Writer:  Steven Knight
  • Based on: The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
  • Cast:  Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon, Amit Shah, Farzanana Dua Elahe, Dillon Mitra, Aria Pandya, Michel Blanc
  • Music: A. R. Rahman
  • Cinematography: Linus Sandgren
  • Release date:     August 8, 2014
  • Rating: ***

(The aim and intention of my reviews is to critique and recommend while not revealing the whole story to enjoy the movie when seen. But minor details have been divulged for a proper review!)

Mouthwatering & Delicious, Picturesque & Quaint, Haute & Hot, Classic & Colorful, French & Indian, Feast for the Senses,….   these are the words which promptly pop up  when  I reflect  back on the 100 Foot Journey.

charlotte le bon hundredfootjourney

The Hundred Foot Journey, the movie is carried on big shoulders, directed  by  Lasse Hallstrom, who made the exceptional foodie movie- ‘Chocolat’ , Produced by the bigwigs of Hollywood Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.  Has acting legends like Oscar winning actress Helen Mirren and accomplished Indian actor Om Puri.  This movie is also based on a best seller novel by Richard C. Morais.

That said, don’t go with expectations of a Spielberg movie, this is a story of food, cuisines, cultures, dreams and desires. The 100 foot journey is the distance Hassan Kadam ( Manish Dayal) crosses to become a fusion chef of Indian and French Cuisines.

The story begins in Mumbai and travels to the picturesque and lush French village where the Kadam family set their ‘Maison Mumbai’ right in front of Madame Mallory’s Michelen star winning haute French restaurant, Le Saule Pleureur; and how Hassan progresses into a journey of his own, seeking success and then happiness!

helen

The jousting interplay between   two contrasting  rivals,  the  prudent  and driven Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren) and high- spirited,  optimistic Papa Kadam (Om Puri),  and  the flirtatious chemistry and culinary tête-à-tête  of handsome and talented Indian Chef Hassan (Manish) with  the  sweet  and  charming French sous chef Marguerite(Charlotte) builds the movie with  some visually appetizing  gourmet with epicurean savor, exotic spices, sauces and  food porn  making the viewers hungry and salivating.

manish hundred foot journey

Picturesque cinematography of the quaint French villages, lush hills and cobble stone streets, the open air restaurants, the colorful farmers markets with fresh produce,  mosaic of  exotic food, the  fine details in the culinary process, the romanticizing the making of food like ‘Boeuf Bourguignon a la Hassan’, ‘Pigeon and Truffles’, Sea Urchins, ‘Murgh Masala’,  or even an Omelet, or  the French sauces, mesmerizes and is feast for the senses.

A.R. Rehman’s music additionally creates a fusion of the French and Indian cuisines and adds additional flavor to the movie. His weaving the instrumental music of old Bollywood songs(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hundred-Foot_Journey_%28soundtrack%29) in background of some scenes gives more meaning to the scenes than it states.

The movie has its negatives and glitches too with slower pace, predictable parts and some clichéd philosophies and pithy one liner’s which run deep in its own sense. ‘Brakes break for a reason’ is what  Papa Kadam   insists as positive sign from his late wife  to see things in optimistic light to settle in the French village when their brakes fail. “Every bite takes you home.” creates nostalgic food inspired memories to the successful Parisian chef Hassan when he eats from an Indian colleague’s lunch box, triggering him to a reality check of what he wants from life! “The sea urchins taste of  life” is something I didn’t get, probably because I have not tasted a sea urchin! Though the sea urchin is threaded in the movie as an ingredient in both Indian and French cuisines, it is not popularly available in India.

Irrespectively I enjoyed the movie but I may be clinically biased towards the movie being passionate about food, a food writer, and feel that ‘cooking is a passionate affair’ like Madame Mallory! But some people with no interest in food and cooking may not be so enamored. The movie parts in French  and Hindi may also get lost in translation and understanding since they didn’t come with subtitles.

Lastly will have to say, if you are a foodie you will love it, but if you are not, it may make you fall in love with food;)

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