From one clichéd adventure to the next: no sooner after I had reviewed The Judge than a film came along with such grand sweetness that it’s difficult not to fiddle around in the dark for an Equalizer (or three). That was what The Hundred Foot Journey was like in many respects, and not only because it featured a lot of sumptuous shots of foods being prepared and consumed in a delightful manner. We follow the story of the Kadam family, led by the patriarch Papa (Om Puri). A brief montage-like sequence at the beginning established their issues: they ran a successful family restaurant, but troubles back home in Mumbai (which involved the demise of the matriarch [Juhi Chawla]) meant that they had to relocate to London. Here, Papa, along with the rest of the family, decided to move on to pursue their culinary dreams. A failed brake in a quaint French village meant the family was somewhat stranded there. However, Hassan (Manish Dayal), the star pupil of the family if you like, met Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), who helped the family back on their feet. Papa evidently liked the place enough, so much so that he plonked down a somewhat unbelievable amount of money to purchase a rundown building. The plan? To open an Indian restaurant. That seemed alright enough, but the only issue is that across that literal road lies an upscale Michelin Star restaurant owned by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). It is literally a hundred foot away (hence the title), so you have an idea of the proximity within which such different cultural and economic clashes would take place. Adding intrigue to this is Marguerite, who also works as the sous chef at said restaurant. How, then, will the family face this? Will they thrive in the face of such heated competition? Will Papa prevail against the not-so-malleable Mallory? Can Hassan’s affections for Marguerite grow in the context of their professional rivalry?
Sweetness For once, Fikri Jermadi decided to watch a film ‘blind’, without knowing what it’s about prior to its screening. IMAGE: TAMORLAN / WIKIPEDIA
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