It’s been a while since I walked out of the theatre with a smile on my face, but it was hard not to after watching this one. Steven Spielberg’s 51st movie continues his remarkable streak of terrific films, and while this one may not rival his mega hits, it is a solid evening’s entertainment. If you’re looking for some relief from the world of special effects and streams of profanity, this will do it. A great script, a fun and entertaining story, and some outstanding cinematography coupled with excellent performances from the entire cast.
This is a story about a family in Mumbai, India who own and operate a successful restaurant. Political upheaval forces them out of business, and they decide to pursue their future somewhere in Europe where they can start anew. Fate leads them to a village in South France, where against all odds, they endeavor to start a new restaurant, featuring Indian cuisine, the last thing most Frenchmen are interested in consuming. As circumstances would have it, the perfect and only location they can secure is exactly 100 feet away from one of France’s most elegant and top ranked restaurants. Regardless, they proceed, and as the restaurant “war” heats up, things in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val are never quite the same.
The Hundred-Foot Journey
Entertainment Rating: ★★★
Rating: PG, no profanity or any other issues, perfect family fare
Possible Oscar Nominations: Cinematography, Film Editing, Set Decoration and Costume Design.
There are a number of things that make this film worth seeing. Certainly the unique story line itself carried out by a fine ensemble of actors, headed by Oscar winner Helen Mirren as the owner of the French restaurant and Om Puri as Papa Haji, the patriarch of the Indian family. There is also a superb performance by Manish Dayal as Hassan Haji, a phenomenal young chef whose skills in the kitchen quickly become legendary. His loving preparation of various dishes provide a number of photographic highlights.
But the real essence is the courage and conviction displayed by a displaced family of immigrants struggling to do what they know best, against all odds. In the Indian culture, family is everything, and its’ hard not to be attracted to this little group of six, as they attempt to prove that “anything is possible.” I highly recommend this movie as a fine change of pace and encourage you to eat something before you go, there is a whole lot of fine cuisine on the screen!
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