The Hundred Foot Journey – A Review

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

(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;)