THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

US, 2014, minutes, Colour.
Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal.
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom.

The Hundred- Foot Journey is situated in France – where they don’t measure in feet and yards but have to translate anything metric for the commercially necessary non-metric audiences of the United States and Britain. No matter whether we use feet or metres, this is an entertaining film.

Statistics have indicated that television audiences are prone to watch programmes about food and cooking. This is a good reason to give up some hours of television watching because Hundred- Foot Journey is a film about Indian cooking and about French cooking, with some most impressive visuals in the kitchen and on the tables of the restaurants a hundred feet apart.

The family of Mumbai are expert in providing the joys of Indian food in their native city but when riots occur with destruction, they decide that they need to migrate to Europe. They spend some time in London but find it too cold, especially as they try to live under the flight path into Heathrow, the plains zooming down very closely overhead. Off they go to the continent, driving through Switzerland and into France where they have a van breakdown – and the father of the family, played by Indian veteran actor, Om Puri, has an epiphany.

A derelict building, a failed restaurant, is on sale. He buys it and starts to fulfil his dream of an Indian restaurant in Europe. He discovers that there is a certain amount of racism and bigotry in France which threatens his restaurant. But the main threat comes from across the street, those hundred feet, from a one Michelen star restaurant owned and managed by the haughty French Madame Mallory (Helen, Mirren, in very regal mode with broken English accent).

The battle of the kitchens has its amusing moments, the screenplay poking fun at French snobbery and exclusivity of menu, and enthusiastically demonstrating the virtues (and odours and tastes) of Indian cuisine, so to speak.

The son of the family (is an expert cook – in the opening, he explains to passport control that he is a chef. His father is exceedingly proud of him. And he begins work at the Mumbai Palace.

At first, the rivalry is intense, Madame trying to do her best (and worst) to close the opposition down. But when antagonism from the locals turns ugly, she disapproves of the racism and begins, herself, to get rid of offending graffiti. And, as the end of Casablanca reminds us, “this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”).

The chef son has a great desire to learn French cooking and he is accepted by Madame, more than proving his worth after her initial doubts. He is also attracted by Madame’s sous-chef, so there is nice romance, although it is tested when the young man achieves another Michelin star and is invited to chef in Parisian restaurants.

In the meantime, his girlfriend pines for him and begins to give up hope. Madame and the boy’s father share a very warm friendship. So, in the end, it is happiness for all, including the audience going out of the cinema feeling very good.

1. The popularity of films about food and restaurants? Indian cuisine? French cuisine?

2. The title, the steps to each restaurant from the other, but greater than 100 feet? Cultural issues, national issues, race issues, food themes?

3. The visuals of Mumbai, the streets, the restaurant, the customers and food, the riots, the effect on the family, the death of the mother, destruction of the restaurant? Political and religious background? The decision to go to Europe, at passport control, the interrogations? Trying to settle in Europe? The attempt at Heathrow, the planes passing so close overhead and the wind draft? Into France, the mountains, the town, the beauty? The musical score, both Indian and European in style?

4. The introduction to the family, the large family, the parents, Hassan and his skills, his mother’s influence, the father managing, the other children? Their life, expectations, the riots, the mother’s death, the escape?

5. Refugees, going to Europe, hopes, explanations at the border, Hassan and his saying he was a chef? Allowed to enter Europe?

6. Heathrow, the plains, the wind draft, the cold, the decision to move, travelling in the van, Switzerland and France, the brakes giving way, going onto the side road, seeing the town, father attracted by it?

7. Finding the building, abandoned by previous owners who had failed with their restaurant, his admiring the building, encountering Madame Mallory, his decision to buy the building? The promotion? The praise of his son and focusing on him in public?

8. Progress, the details of the building, the Indian style, the elaborate facade, the lights, the name? The interiors, the kitchen? Hassan as a chef, the family all helping? food, going to the market, Madame having bought everything, the father’s later using the same device? The opening of the restaurant?

9. Madame, her story, the widow, running the restaurant, the Michelin star? The large staff, her severity, the different chefs, Marguerite as an under-chef? The range of clients, from the town, the politicians? The tactics, disdain for the Indians, her complaints, wanting to build a high wall?

10. The mayor, his wife, the initial reactions, his liking the food, going to the Indian restaurant, caught between the two with their complaints?

11. Issues of racism, the attack on the town, Madame’s chef and her firing him? The graffiti, the ugliness of the racism?

12. This turning point for Madame, her washing off the graffiti, the reactions from the family?

13. Hassan, his age, his skill as a chef, explanation at passport control, his gifts? Searching in the woods, the encounter with Marguerite, the revelation that she worked for Madame? The bond, the sharing, the books on cooking and his reading them, his success, doing the French meal, Madame and her looking down on him? His desire to learn French cooking, the audition, Madame accepting him, her amazement, her praise?

14. Madame wanting the improvement for her restaurant, another Michelin star, the deal about Hassan, his moving the hundred feet, his work, the recipes, Madame promoting him? The other members of the staff? Marguerite and her reactions? His apprenticeship, the time? The hopes of the second Michelin star, everybody waiting for the phone call, success?

15. The family, the memory of the mother, her influence, everyone helping, buying, cooking? The fire, Hassan and his helping, burning his hands? His brother doing the cooking? His sister and her reaction? The younger children and their adapting to France?

16. Hassan, the opportunity to go to Paris, Marguerite and her being upset, his getting the taxi, talking to her, his success in Paris, the restaurants, the clients, the food, the magazine articles?

17. Madame, the father, an older couple, their talking, easy familiarity, the bonds, the dancing, sharing?

18. Marguerite, angry, the book, Hassan’s return, making up?

19. Happy ending for all concerned?