Hundred Foot Journey is pleasant but an acquired taste for some

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” seems to have a common narrative in the beginning but slowly transforms into something more. What starts as a simple family tale slowly becomes a captivating infusion of family, culture, and cuisine.

 

Cinematics(Plot, Acting, Cinematography, etc.)

On the surface, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” could be taken as a “rags to riches” story but it takes a fully engaged individual to appreciate the relationship between food and character development. Much like the director’s previous film “Chocolat,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey” uses food as a means to convey emotion. Every flavor and dish seemed to correlate with the mood and tone of the characters as the film progressed. While many films have attempted to represent the passion associated with cooking, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” successfully represents that passion through its cinematography, characters, and story.

The passion of cooking could not have been conveyed so well without the performances from the actors involved. Helen Mirren is rigid and commanding in her role as Madame Mallory but carries a pleasant level of respect in the role. Mimicking her real life persona, she plays both beauty and beast acting as both opposition and aspiration for the main character Hassan. Om Puri (Hassan’s Father) is the comic relief as well as the link to the bits of Indian culture present throughout the film. He complements Mirren’s character with a performance that is heartfelt yet stern which also depicts a pleasant representation of Indian culture.

Hassan (Manish Dayal) and Margueritte (Charlotte Le Bon) share a common interest in culinary arts. Their characters are more like the personification of the food they create rather than any type of conventional relationship. With that being said, their performances are adequate but given the theme of the film (cooking) they are heavily overshadowed by the cuisine they produce.

Entertainment Value

This is a film that you must be fully engaged in to enjoy. If you are not prepared to get to know these characters for two hours then this may not be the film for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it due to the intrigue of the characters and the meticulous camera work that captured every detail of creating each food dish. Besides the underlying, culinary theme the setting is quiet and quaint and outside of character development and theme, there isn’t much excitement to be had.

Rewatchability

I would say this film is on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to multiple viewings. It is a film that you can definitely appreciate but after the initial viewing, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” begins to lose its luster. This is in no way a testament to the quality of the film because like many other great films, it is able to convey its message in one viewing. It is a film that requires you to be involved which may be exhausting when it comes to a second or third screening.

Overall