I was very excited on the evening I knew I was going to see DreamWorks Pictures’ The Hundred-Foot Journey. I had heard so much about this film, mainly about all the wonderful food, and knew I was going to not only be very hungry when I left the theatre, but that I was going to fall in love with this movie.
In DreamWorks Pictures’ The Hundred-Foot Journey, Hassan, played by Manish Dayal, has a huge passion for food. As he was growing up in Mumbai, India, Hassan’s mother taught him how to cook the proper way. Hassan was very close with his mother and as they cooked together they prepared the family food with love.
In a tragic fire the family restaurant burns down and Hassan’s mother is killed. Hassan and his family need to find a new home and they journey to a village in France. Hassan’s Papa, played by Om Puri, is determined and falls for a run down building that he envisions being the perfect spot for his family restaurant.
Unfortunately for the Kadam family, the property they have chosen for their restaurant is directly across the street (100 feet exactly) from a well known French restaurant and is run by Madame Mallory, played by the lovely Helen Mirren. As expected, Madame Mallory is not happy about her new neighbors and goes out of her way to make life difficult for them. As the battle continues between Madame and The Kadam Family, eventually something goes terribly wrong and this changes the relationship between the two restaurant owners, and it is all for the good.
As time passes between the two neighbors, a love story develops between Hassan and Marguerite, played by charming Charlotte Le Bon, one of Madame’s chefs. Eventually, Hassan goes away and becomes a world-famous chef leaving his family and friends behind. Over time, Hassan realizes that he misses his life in France and the people there who are waiting for him to return.
I truly fell in love with all of the characters in this film. There were many twists and turns throughout that are not expected, which I believe makes a wonderful movie. This beautiful story was written by Richard C. Morais and I would feel totally comfortable with my young twelve year old daughter seeing this movie. Great for the entire family!
My one word of advice: You will be hungry after seeing this film so either eat beforehand, or plan to stop at an Indian restaurant immediately afterwards. That is all.
Disclosure: Movie passes were given for an honest review of The Hundred-Foot Journey. All opinions are my own.