THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY (PG)
Released by Walt Disney Pictures
Review by Adam Mast
There’s something to be said for a lack of cynicism in a movie. For a great deal of its running time, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” succeeds simply because it doesn’t have a mean bone in its body. Sure, at a surface level, one of the primary characters appears to be a cast iron bitch, and yes, there’s even a bit of villainous contention. Ultimately though, sentimentality rules in “The Hundred -Foot Journey”.
After a turbulent, political climate forces the Kadam family to relocate from their homeland to a small, quaint French village, they must adjust to a new way of life. Upon eventually settling in, Papa (played by a wonderful Om Puri), the hard headed patriarch of the family, decides to bring a taste of his own culture to Europe by way of a restaurant that specializes in Indian cuisine. Shortly thereafter, the Kadam’s find themselves engaged in an entirely new kind of war…with Madame Mallory (played by season pro, Helen Mirren)– the tenacious and somewhat snooty proprietress of an upscale and highly reputable French restaurant from across the street. Lucky for Papa, he has an ace up his sleeve in the form of his son, Hassan (Manish Dayal)– a culinary protege who cooks from the soul.
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” was directed by the great Lasse Hallstrom (“My Life as a Dog”, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”)–a film-maker known for infusing his ensemble dramas with a healthy dose of sentimentality. In fact, this whimsical tale of the culinary arts, sweet romances, and a mild culture clash, bares a striking resemblance to Hallstrom’s own “Chocolat”.
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” certainly suffers from pacing and structural issues. There’s a lot going on in this picture. Perhaps too much. The movie starts off with a light-hearted war of the restaurants scenario and a sweet if a tad underdeveloped love story revolving around Hassan and cute Marguerite (played by Charlotte Le Bon– France’s answer to Winona Ryder), but then “The Hundred-Foot Journey” switches gears and asks Hassan to carry the rest of the movie. To his credit, Dayal is quite likable and he almost pulls it off. Unfortunately, The final act of this picture happens so quickly that it almost feels shoehorned in. Hassan’s character arc is never fully realized so the ending of the picture isn’t quite as powerful as it aspires be.
Still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t smile a lot during this picture. The banter between Puri and Mirren alone makes the movie worth watching, as does the mouth watering food and the gorgeous locales. “Chef” remains 2014’s definitive movie about the culinary arts, but if you want a sweet, charming, gentile movie to offset this summer’s bigger effects laden pictures, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” emerges as a pleasant enough diversion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6H8pAKKkgQ
