'The Hundred-Foot Journey' Review

The Hundred-Foot Journey Review:

Slightly Undercooked, But Tasty Nonetheless

BY IAN TAN

The Hundred-Foot Journey follows the Kadam family and their hopes to open an Indian restaurant in France, much to the disdain of Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). Things start heating up when tastes of two cultures collide, and as Hassan starts to appreciate French cuisine and begins learning its craft.

There are a couple of good things you can find in The Hundred-Foot Journey, one of which is the acting. The Hundred-Foot Journey is filled with fine and dandy performances from its Indian, British and French cast. Helen Mirren is great presence as always, and does the film favors as Madame Mallory, even if she serves only as a supporting character. This is not an issue, as the two young leads, namely Manish Dayal as Hassan and Charlotte Le Bon as Marguerite, give likable performances and add charm to the script. Much of this charm is what may keep audiences interested in the proceedings and help us ignore some of the film’s flaws.

Besides the acting, the overall feel-good vibe the film has will likely leave you coming out of the theatre satisfied, but craving for more. The film has some nice-looking shots of French morning markets and streets, but there simply isn’t enough of France seen here to give it that extra dose of feel-good-movie escapism. In addition to that, the shots of food in this film rarely make your mouth water, which is a bit of a negative considering that this is a food-based film. The number of scenes featuring French and Indian food preparation here are surprisingly low, with some of the dishes served up not looking as scrumptious as you might expect. Other food-related films like Ratatouille or even the Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs movies left us with hunger cravings as we exited the theatre. The Hundred-Foot Journey however, does not.

Besides that, the film has some pacing issues, and may feel a wee bit draggy at times, with one too many scenes that seem to set up a conflict, but ending with a one-sentence catch phrase or comedic event to end it. That left me a little annoyed as I wish there was more dramatic weight to these scenes. I’m not saying I want Korean-drama level emotion, but some form of an issue that turned the tables would have probably made for a more engaging film and story. Okay, there is one event that tries to do that, but the film’s editing doesn’t allow audiences to fully sink their teeth into the gravity of it. Thankfully, as previously stated, the likable characters and performances allow audiences to overlook these issues and have a relaxing time at the movies.

As a whole, The Hundred-Foot Journey feels like a meal at a sub-standard fancy restaurant – having the ingredients that could make for a wholly satisfying experience (in this case, a good cast, a pretty country and two cuisines of food), but bogged down by the lack of a couple of spices that could have enhanced the overall flavor.  Now, where’s my Ratatouille DVD?

Final Verdict

The Hundred-Foot Journey receives 7 out of 10 Michelin Stars

- A nice treat for a lazy Saturday evening :)