The Hundred Foot Journey was a movie I was looking forward too a lot. Love Helen Mirren as she always does a top notch job every time. This is about rival restaurants. One very upscale run by Helen and a new one right across a very small road being opened by an Indian family forced out of their homeland by having their restaurant burned to the ground. The mother died in the fire. She had been teaching her son (Manish Dayal) to cook and she left her spices to him. There are five children and the father (Om Puri) who set up the restaurant in the South of France. Not a great place to start an Indian eating place. Certainly not across from a place that has one Michelin star for great food. Warning to all the women this guy Dayal is just the best looking man I have seen in a good while. The young female chef in training across the road thinks so too. Bitter words and underhanded tricks are committed by Helen at the start and so the father returns them too. This goes on till real damage is done and the young man gets hurt . This wakes the woman Helen plays up to what she is doing. She lets the young man come cook for her to see if he is as good as the father says. He is that and she hires him to train in her place. She gets another star due to him and then he gets an invite to a teaching restaurant in Paris. Leaving his new blossoming love behind. This is a story of family and love and honor. All very important things in life. Out 10 I gave it a 10 just because I enjoyed it from start to finish. The acting was very good. The scenery wonderful to look at and it shows what can happen when we let pride and a fear of something different cloud our better judgement.
Cat Says:
I really went to see this film for Helen Mirren. I'm a huge fan and truly wanted to know if she could pull off "French". We have a very good friend who is French so I had much in which to compare the performance. Mirren nails it!
The format of the film is rather predictable. Indian father finds a place in France to set up his restaurant with son who can cook. Unfortunately the building is right across the street from a famous French restaurant. Son who can cook falls for girl from French restaurant who can cook and all live happily ever after. Right? Close.
The film begins with an explanation about the family from India, their lives there and how the son learned to cook. In fact, it's a family business. It shows their journey to France and the discovery that the son can't just cook but he's one of "those" chefs. The type who become world famous type chefs. Helen Mirren plays the owner of the French restaurant, Madame Mallory, and she is a piece of work...until her snobery bites her in her conscience. Om Puri plays the father of this displaced this family who really just wants a shot at a new life. There is a brother and two sisters as well but it's the younger son, Hassan, played by the simply gorgeous Manish Dayal, who shines. He meets the sous chef from the French restaurant their first night in town and he's head over heels for her. Marguerite, played by Charlotte Le Bon, is not so quick to fall. Being a chef is a competitive thing and she wants to win as much as he wants to learn. While she is very good, he is amazing. And his quick rise to the top of the culinary scene divides them from each other. But this is happily ever after right? So you pretty much know the ending at the beginning but you most certainly do not mind the ride. These are interesting characters played by gifted actors so you glide through this film like the perfectly plated food you see in the film. For that predictability I deduct a point but it's a very minor flaw in an otherwise divine movie. 9 out of 10.
For parents. The beginning of the movie has quite a bit of violence as Hassan and his family flee a violent rebellion. There is quite a bit of wine drinking and a disturbing fire scene. If you have a sensitive child then you may want to wait till they are older but I think 8 and up is a safe guideline.
