Review by Darrin Quick Review: A lightly pleasant, visually appealing movie best seen with a date. Nothing you haven’t seen before, though — on the Hallmark Channel. If you’re looking for an award-worthy film, spend your money elsewhere.
Dreamworks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment’s
The Hundred-Foot Journey follows the Kadam family as they flee tragedy in India to start a new life in Europe. When circumstances land them in a quaint village in the French countryside, Papa (played by the gravelly voiced Om Puri) naturally chooses to settle in and open an Indian eatery 100 feet away (see what they did there?) from a highly rated classical French restaurant owned by the snobbish Madame Mallory (Academy Award winner Helen Mirren). Mistrust, culinary competitiveness and a spoonful of racism pit the Kadams against Mme. Mallory and her crew of chefs, even as eldest son Hassan Kadam (portrayed by freakishly attractive Manish Dayal) and Mme. Mallory’s sous chef, Marguerite (Canadian up-and-comer Charlotte Le Bon), grow close. But, as Hassan’s talent as a chef becomes clear to her, Mme. Mallory comes to see him in a new light and realizes her misgivings about the Kadams are unjust.
This movie visually is very appealing, and foodies will definitely leave the theater yearning for the nearest haute cuisine after watching two hours of Lasse Hallstrom’s masterfully portrayed gastronomic fare float before their eyes. Unfortunately, by the time they’ve hit the theater doors, they’ll probably have forgotten the movie itself. Or they’ll have confused it with the plethora of similarly unremarkable stories of intolerance realized and overcome.
Despite solid — though by no means extraordinary — performances by the cast, gorgeous scenery beautifully displayed, an abundance of mouth-watering food scenes and a few honestly funny moments, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” never seems to rise above cliché in its portrayal of characters learning to overcome their prejudices and come together.
My final take (Full Price vs Matinee vs Wait & Rent vs Skip It) — Wait & Rent It (Then rent “Chocolat” to remind yourself how a food-centric film should be done.)
The Hundred-Foot Journey opens Friday, Aug. 8.