The Hundred-Foot Journey is based on the novel of the same name by Richard C. Morais. When Hassan and his family, led by Papa, move to a quaint village in the South of France with the grand plan of opening an inexpensive Indian restaurant in the picturesque countryside, they are undeterred by the fact that only 100 feet opposite stands a Michelin starred classical French eatery. However upon encountering the icy proprietress, Madame Mallory, the Kadam family realise they may have bitten off more than they can chew. Outraged by the new arrivals, Madame Mallory is determined to have their business shut down and the whole town becomes engaged in the culinary warfare.
Hassan’s passion and talent for French cuisine begin to enchant Madame Mallory and even she can’t deny this young chef could have what it takes to garner even more acclaim for her beloved restaurant. This, along with his new-found friendship with her beautiful sous chef Marguerite, starts to bridge the differences between the two cultures and, despite their different tastes, they discover an unlikely recipe for success that surprises them all.
Lately more and more culinary-focused films are hitting theaters. In these films, the story lines depend on the food itself: who is cooking, what is being cooked and how the food will change the plot. “The food is an important character itself,” said Juliet Blake, who produced “The Hundred-Foot Journey” with Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.
Helen Mirren joins Meryl Streep in taking on a strong, female culinary role. In 2009, Streep incarnated iconic American food celebrity Julia Child in the Nora Ephron film Julie And Julia for which she won an Oscar.
Be sure to read my post “Get Sauce Savvy” for information on the Five French Mother Sauces (pictured below).
