The Hundred Foot Journey
Now playing at International Village and Fifth Avenue
If ever there was a film that begged for the re-release of Mike Todd Jr’s short-lived Smell-O-Vision technology, it’s The Hundred-Foot Journey.
Like this year’s other food porn film, Chef, The Hundred-Foot Journey treats its dishes like a main character, with plates of food so bold you wish they were scratch-and-sniff.
But there are humans along for this journey, too: Helen Mirren and Om Puri play rival restaurateurs separated by a mere 100 feet but whose cultural gap is much wider.
The Kadam family, led by patriarch Papa (Puri) moves to quaint Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France and promptly makes plans to open a family restaurant serving Indian cuisine. “People here don’t eat those things” protests a family member. Unfortunately the Maison Mumbai just happens to be adjacent to a Michelin-starred restaurant run by the formidable Madame Mallory (Mirren).
Soon the neighbourhood is filled with the smell of curry, a breath of fresh air to some, an offensive aroma to Madame. “If your food is anything like your music,” she sniffs, “then I suggest you turn it down”.
Culinary and personal spats ensue, and both Papa and Madame stomp across that 100 feet several times. Son Hassan (Manish Dayal) crosses the divide, too. He is something of a cooking prodigy who develops a curiosity and a passion for French cuisine, not to mention an instant attraction to Marguerite (Canadian actor Charlotte Le Bon), Madame’s sous chef.
“Is he as good as I think he is?” asks Papa. “He’s better,” Madame admits.
Love between the young is a pretty thing, but it’s the discourse between Mirren and Puri that really gets the pots boiling. Both are trapped in their own emotional cages: Papa is a stubborn man who has never recovered from the death of his wife; Mallory is a headstrong big fish in a small pond who has spent decades striving for another Michelin star, to the exclusion of everything else including love. They grow to an understanding, and then to something more.
The film is based on Richard Morais’ novel and directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Hallstrom has used food to invade small French villages before, in Chocolat, so he knows the territory. As if the food weren’t sumptuous enough, shots of the idyllic French countryside will make you want to spend your own Year in Provence.
Mirren’s not championing a great film here, just an enjoyable one. And whether you’re inspired to stay home and whip up a masterpiece of your own or to dine out and let someone else tickle your tastebuds, The Hundred-Foot Journey is sure to whet your appetite.
