Food and film

Madi Wharmby explores cuisine in The Hundred-Foot Journey

FOOD has become the ultimate companion to fellowship. There’s the classic first date of ‘dinner and a movie,’ Christmas lunch planned months in advance, ice cream as the perfect end to a sunny day at the beach; gatherings based around food are here to stay. Memories are made around a dinner table. But when food meets film, what is our motivation? Is it to reminisce on those memories made, or is it just to make our mouths water?

We all need to eat to survive. But getting our fuel has become more than survival — it is an enjoyable experience. Food is one of the biggest industries that drives our world economy. Every restaurant competes to have the most tastebud-tingling food that delights their customers and keeps them coming again and again.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is a mouth-watering film that explores what happens when two restaurants with vastly different cuisines come into direct competition. Hassan Kadam, an aspiring Indian chef who has had a passion for food since his infancy, moves with his family from Mumbai to France. They come across a derelict building on their travels, and spontaneously decide to buy up. Unfortunately for them, it happens to be a mere hundred feet from Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin Star restaurant run by the clever and ruthless Madame Mallory, which prides itself on cooking for the president of France and outstripping all contenders with complete perfection. However, the Kadams’ creative flavours, hearty food and joyful dining experience begins to conflict with the prestigious, award-winning restaurant, and a cooking war erupts in the little village of St. Antonin. This film is an incredible celebration of food. We are treated to close-up shots of whisks stirring rich, creamy sauces, colourful spices, perfectly crafted canapés and steaming hotpots, along with experiencing the buzz of a busy kitchen serving happy customers. Crisp, polished chef whites grace the grandiose Le has never been more claustrophobic than in this Stephen King adaptation. Like Jack Nicholson’s Johnny, we fall victim to this immersive cabin fever. However, as the film goes on, we grow fearful for Wendy and her son, who are not only exiled from civilisation in this hotel, but are trapped with a mentally unstable husband driven out of his mind. A scene that still chills me to this day, is the shot of Nicholson looking out a window of the hotel, observing the snow falling around him. The frost is visible on the window and seems to be closing in, tighter and tighter, mirroring how trapped Johnny and his family must have felt. The snow is an emblem of danger, if they leave the ‘safety’ of the hotel, they risk freezing to death. It is a testament to Wendy’s fear that she abandons the warmth of the hotel in an attempt to flee Johnny’s rage and wielding axe, resulting in an intense chase scene that takes place in the maze. Luckily, the snow was used as a plot device by Kubrick, where the son retraces his footprints in order to trick his murderous father and escape the maze unnoticed. Thus leaving Johnny confused, insane and completely lost (both spatially and mentally) as the snow engulfs another of its victims. omelette. Making the perfect omelette is the way that Madame Mallory interviews a chef to see if they can perform to the standard required to work in her restaurant. Hassan not only cooks it to perfection but adds new spices and flavours that make the omelette taste even better. Madame Mallory learns that it’s not all about winning Michelin stars but taking joy in creating a masterpiece.

Saule Pleureur, contrasting the traditional cultural dance scenes of Maison Mumbai which brim with energy. A food revolution has come to town, and it’s one everyone is excited about.

Snowscapes are effective tools that can be utilised to establish or embellish a mood or setting. It works in both childhood fantasies and classic horror. While snow isn’t inherently evil or joyful, its connotations and use in these examples above illustrate how it is, essentially, a blank canvas that a director can mould to suit their fancy.

In a particularly heart-warming scene, Hassan, who has suffered terrible burns to his hands, asks Mallory if he can cook her an

Hassan’s creativity and devotion to perfecting his skills earns him celebrity-status, a job at a top molecular cuisine restaurant in Paris and loving fans across the globe, but, ultimately, he realises that what he truly wants is what he had all along — to be surrounded by his loved ones around the dinner table.

The final message of the film is that food belongs with family, and it’s not about the destination of stardom and success, but enjoying the process of becoming the best you can be. Though this film shows us the beauty of a well-prepared meal with attention to detail, what seems to matter most is Hassan’s personal growth as not only a chef, but as a person; and the joy that he brings to others. Food in film is feel-good for a multitude of reasons that aren’t just edible. Perhaps the place of food in film mirrors its place in society; to bring moments of delight, uniting people together over a good meal.

EDITORS: ANNABELLE LAW AND MADISON SOHNGEN