The Hundred-Foot Journey

Romantic movies that prominently feature food are fairly common. From internationally acclaimed films like Ang Lee's "Eat Drink Man Woman" to Alfonso Arau's "Like Water for Chocolate" to more pedestrian fare like "Eat Pray Love," one doesn't have to be a foodie to realize the sensual appeal of films that combine romance with exotic locations, cultures and cuisine. Swedish director Lasse Hallström is no stranger to this genre, his film "Chocolat" earned five Academy Award nominations in 2001, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Juliette Binoche) and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench).

Hallström returns to romantic drama with "The Hundred-Foot Journey," an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Richard C. Morais. The film stars Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren ("The Queen") as Madame Mallory, the owner of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin-starred restaurant in a small town in the south of France. Madame Mallory is austere to the edge of priggishness, and is horrified when an immigrant family from India opens a restaurant directly across the street from hers (100 feet away to be precise).

The rival restaurant, Maison Mumbai, is owned by the Kadam family, recently arrived in France after tragic events in their homeland. The family includes Hassan, a young culinary prodigy played by Manish Dayal, and Papa, the stubborn and high-spirited family patriarch played by Om Puri ("West is West"). Soon, sparks fly and egos clash as Papa and Madame Mallory engage in a game of sabotage and one-upsmanship as the restaurants compete for business. Complications ensue as Hassan meets and falls for charming young Marguerite, Madame Mallory's sous chef, played by Charlotte le Bon. The two are drawn to each other over their passion and talent for cooking, and Marguerite secretly helps Hassan learn about French foods and techniques.

As one might expect from a romantic drama focused on contrasting foods and cultures, Hallström's direction is intimate and unhurried. Hallström takes care to build a sense of atmosphere and pacing that allows viewers to immerse themselves in the sensuousness of the setting. To his credit, Hallström deftly avoids steering the film into the quasi-fairy tale realm that "Chocolat" occupied while still infusing the cooking scenes with a sense of joy and wonder that is engrossing.

Mirren is delightful as Madame Mallory, proving once again that she is capable of conveying more with an arched eyebrow or while silently eating an omelet than nearly any actor working today. Madame Mallory is a refreshingly dynamic character, and Mirren handles the serious moments as wonderfully as the ample comedic moments.

"The Hundred-Foot Journey" is at its best when the focus is on the evolving relationship between Madame Mallory and Papa. Puri is funny and endearing as Papa, and the chemistry he shares with Mirren is the most engaging aspect of the movie.

Dayal holds his own in his scenes with Dame Mirren, an impressive and promising showing for a relative newcomer. The shift in their relationship from adversaries to colleagues is in fact the central theme of "The Hundred-Foot Journey," this process of discovery, and the acceptance and eventual blending of cultures, being at the heart of the film's romance.

The film suffers a bit in the final act, which lacks any real dramatic tension and rather feels more like a drawn-out denouement. I have not read the novel the film was based on, but the last 30 minutes of the film (which clocks in at a “hefty-for-rom-coms” 122 minutes in length) covers a narrative span of over a year. As a result, too many late expository scenes overly condense the characterization of the key figures. This problem with the adaptation, penned by the otherwise excellent Steven Knight ("Locke,""Dirty Pretty Things"), steals a lot of the story's emotional momentum.

Overall, "The Hundred-Foot Journey" is a solid romantic drama with some fun performances that make it easier to overlook its conventional plot. It is a worthwhile and pleasurable bit of cinematic comfort food, just not haute cuisine.

4 Yaps

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv1JSQJKRXs?rel=0&w=514&h=289]