When someone asks me why I love movies so much, my answer is simple: because movies are some of my best childhood memories. I think the same can be said about my love of food, it’s not just the flavor… it’s the memories. Apparently, I’m not alone. “Food is memories” is one of the stand out quotes from Disney’s The Hundred Foot Journey, and in a way, it’s what defines the film.
Hassan (Manish Dayal) and his family run a popular restaurant in India where Hassan has learned to cook from his mother. When tragedy strikes, the family moves first to London, where they aren’t altogether happ, as we hear Hassan tell a immigration agent. Papa (Om Puri) picks them up and travels until something feels right. When an accident leaves them stranded near a small village in France, they stay with a good samaritan and sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon). Papa saw something earlier that caught his eye, and he wanders into town to take a look at a location perfect for a restaurant. As he looks around, he meets Madame Mallory (Dame Helen Mirren), who is not only the neighbor of the location, but the owner of the Michelin star rated restaurant which happens to be across the street. Nonetheless, Papa buys the place and the family starts to build a home and a restaurant in a land of that is not very accepting of them. Despite direct competition, the restaurant flourishes under Hassan’s delectable skills and just when all seems good, Hassan, wants to learn French cuisine. Not only does this put him in direct competition with his not quite yet love interest, Marguerite, but he has to leave his family to learn French cuisine, under Madame Mallory’s tutelage.
I don’t want to give anymore away. The beauty of this film is not necessarily in the events that take place. There is no real crescendo, so to speak, and it is predictable in the way that feel good films are. What I loved about The Hundred Foot Journey is the emotion and the beauty highlighted in the film. The food journey is often an emotional one, for those that dine and for those that create. It’s all heart. That is what I felt while watching the film. I felt the heart of each character and the love that translated into the dishes featured.
Lasse Hallstrom has a way of translating even the simplest human behavoir and making it beautiful. It’s not a summer blockbuster, but it will leave a smile on your face and running to the nearest French bistro.
The Hundred Foot Journey opens August 8 and is rated PG.
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