When I RSVP’d to this film I thought I was getting a Chun Li biopic, however this was not the case. In fact it is actually based on a novel (The Hundred-Foot Journey) written by Richard C. Morais, a book championed by Oprah Winfrey as one of her “favorite summer reads” back in 2010. She is a producer on this project (along with one Steven Spielberg) bringing the novel to life. The story follows Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) and his family who are forced to seek asylum in the West following political unrest in India. Traveling through Europe searching for a site and good local produce to open a new restaurant, they find the perfect spot in a small French town. The only drawback, it is located across the street, a mere 100ft, from a Michelin starred restaurant ran by the strict Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). A culture clash soon unfolds as a backdrop to watching the growing talents of Hassan as he blends his own Indian food knowledge with that of the more refined French. And while his father (Om Puri) goes head to head with Madame Mallory, Hassan falls under the charms of local sous chef Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon).
While nothing new or surprising, The Hundred Foot Journey is a very well crafted comedy drama. A feel good movie that manages to avoid being overly sentimental. Essentially, a film your mother would adore.The film has a slow start, characters seem pretty two-dimensional at first but eventually they start to warm up and play off each other well. There is a genuine sweetness about the romantic arcs in the film with couples sparring and developing into cooperation, friendship and even more. Dayal and Le Bon work well but the real pairing that shines is that of Puri and Mirren. Their banter providing some of the more entertaining moments of the film. There is of course the usually jokes made playing off the stereotypes and cultural clashes but the film comes across as more respectful of Indian culture than the recent release Million Dollar Arm.
Lasse Hallstrom’s direction is solid, showing off the vibrancy of Indian culture against the beautiful backdrop of France very well, although he does seem to feel the need to ape J. J. Abrams with lens flare shots crowbarred into the film with no reason at all. Overall the film is shot in a way that mirrored the story, admirable and pretty but little really below the surface. It did make me hungry however which is obviously a good sign for any film showcasing food. But while passion and soul is spoken of at length in this film it rarely solidifies. Try Chef or Ratatouille instead if you are looking for such things amidst a culinary backdrop. An issue with the cliched predictable nature of the film is that there are no real obstacles to the progression of the plot. It is pretty free of drama and comes across as too straightforward. Everything seems to fall perfectly into place, it is as if the makers were so preoccupied with crafting a feel-good movie they just ploughed straight through the dramatic content.
Journey does hint at a larger and more challenging story rather than the by the book effort it ended up being. A film looking at the clash of cultures, the horrific loss of a loved one as well as the themes of being an outsider and fundamentally, racism. In an interview, Producer Oprah Winfrey said, “Food allows to blend cultures and gives ability peek in other’s life. It is about a hundred foot divide between cultures.” “It’s about human beings coming to understand other human beings and more importantly, after you get to experience or step into somebody else’s shoes or see them for a real human being, how you understand that you’re really more alike than you are different”. In a way, the film achieves this vision, it uses food and an appreciation for the art of cooking as a bridge between two warring peoples.
Having not read the book I cannot expand on what is omitted here or whether it pertains to weightier topics glazed over in the film or not. The conflict starts harmless enough, playing loud music, buying out each other’s ingredients at the local market but there is a turning point where a few individuals take steps that would be considered a hate crime. This is handled with quickly and portrayed more as an act against “village outsiders” than out and out racism, Mirren’s character growing and showing off better qualities in the face of such events. But again, the drama component is quickly smoothed over to allow the central plot, that of Hassan’s career, to progress. These darker aspects of the story are never really explored. The film is targeted as being a feel-good rags to riches story which is accomplishes well. But the setting and themes offer a richer tale that would have been a more commendable effort to see on screen.
Its hard to dislike The Hundred Foot Journey. All the ingredients are there for a entertaining film and it certainly is a well directed, visual feast. The cast are great and have a delightful rapport. But there is a triteness about proceedings, there’s nothing really new, boundaries are not pushed nor are obvious themes brought up by the plot explored. Rather than an expedition, this journey resembles more of an amble along a familiar garden path. Pretty and enjoyable but in no way thrilling or anything new.
p.s. English vegetables have plenty of soul and plenty of Indian restaurants (some of the best in the world actually) that do very well for themselves.