“The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a movie that soars! It breaks down cultural walls and demonstrates how the spirit of humankind can rise to life’s challenges. The movie is based on the best-selling book by Richard C. Morais, and you know it’s going to be good when the movie introduction includes both Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. The pair toss food analogies around, including Spielberg’s comment that director Lasse Hallstrom brought all the ingredients together to make a powerful movie. And powerful it is.
The Kadam family suffers a great loss when Indian rebels unhappy with an election go on a burning rampage and destroy their home. The fire takes the mother’s life; this was the woman who taught her son Hassan, a gifted chef, how to cook. Papa (Om Puri) decides to leave India in search of a new future. Their van loses its brakes in France; they survive despite a close call and afterward are given a nice meal by local woman Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon). Sparks fly between Marguerite and Hassan before Papa, despite opposition from some family members, determines to buy a restaurant just 100 feet away from a respected French restaurant. Enter the restaurant’s owner, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), who does not cater to the idea at all. She and Papa soon are trying to outdo each other. Marguerite and Hassan form a bond thanks to their desires to be a chef, but the competition between them is fierce.
The movie features an interesting story, romance, excellent performances, and the strong message that, despite cultural differences, people are more alike than they realize. The humor is terrific, too. In one scene, Hassan’s photo appears in a magazine; his father sees the picture of his serious-faced son and says he looks like a terrorist. Another funny moment occurs when Hassan greets a guest to his newly opened restaurant as the French sometimes do, with a kiss on each cheek! When Hassan’s brother learns he is using hay in a recipe, he wants to know, “What’s he doing, cooking for a horse?”
If it is true as one character in the movie states that “food is memories,” then this film, which features several great cooking scenes, will produce wonderful memories for any viewer. The delightful movie “The Hundred-Foot Journey” has earned our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for ages twelve and above. Forgive us for sharing a food analogy like Spielberg and Oprah did: This is an…mmm…mmm good movie!