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: ***
Review: Birjis Adeni Rashed
Review: Birjis Adeni Rashed
(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 Hundred
Foot Journey.
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 the
madam 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!
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.
Picturesque
cinamatogrophy 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 Omlette, 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 the 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;)
