The Hundred-Foot Journey

Ever since he was a boy, Hassan Kadam has always wanted to be a chef. He feels most at home whenever he is in the kitchen experimenting with various spices and flavors. Though he has never had formal culinary training, his mother taught him everything he knows - not only in what ingredients to use to create the best meal possible, but also to take great care and pride in the process. All of this changes when Hassan and his family have to flee Mumbai after their restaurant is burned to the ground during a protest. Their journey first takes them to London, and soon after the family makes their way to France. Once in France, they set up shop in an old run down building across the street from a high-profile French restaurant run by a woman named Madame Mallory. Madame Mallory at first does not take kindly to her seemingly obnoxious neighbors. She and Hassan's family get into a culinary showdown to win over the hearts - and stomachs - of the townspeople. As time passes, however, Madame Mallory slowly gets to know Hassan and realizes the talent he has in the kitchen.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is a delightfully charming movie, that if you see it with an empty stomach, will most likely make you hungry. The way in which food is interwoven into the story is well done; from the way in which Hassan applies his culinary knowledge from his mother to his creations, to the way food tends to bring families and friends together. You can almost taste and smell each of the meals being prepared throughout the movie. The relationships and interactions between each of the characters feels genuine; it never feels forced, much like a fruitcake during the Christmas season that gets passed around because nobody ever actually wants it. Om Puri as Papa Kadam, Manish Dayal as Hassan Kadam, and Helen Mirren as Madame Mallory were all wonderful, along with the rest of the cast. They seemed to actually enjoy being together onscreen. That's always a relief to see, as it makes the whole experience of watching a movie much more pleasant. The Hundred-Foot Journey is one that the whole family will enjoy, not to mention make you want to sit down and have a meal with your family and friends.