“This was initially on my list as a sort of “”filler movie””. If I had the break in my weekend, I’d go. Otherwise there were higher priorities. My first pass at a weekend schedule found a spot for it, but it was removed when something else didn’t work out. So when I saw how disappointed I was about that, I knew I had to fit it back in. Luckily I ended up with a lazy Sunday afternoon that could do with a small outting.
Helen Mirren is why I needed to see this. I adore her, and I know that she can at least make her roles watchable in even the dullest movies. This one didn’t seem dull, but it did seem a little corny and contrived. Yet, there was still something exciting about it. I loved the look at Indian culture in the recent Million Dollar Arm and of course a few years back in Slumdog Millionaire, so I was intrigued to get another look here.
The story centers around two restaurants in a small French town. On one side of the road, Helen Mirren owns a critically renowned classic French restaurant with high class clientel. On the other side, an Indian family starts up a home based exotic cusine for the area restaurant. Surely the two can’t find a way to get along, can they?
I enjoyed following the rivalry and getting to know the characters and their cultures, on both sides of the road. Mirren, of course, was a loveable grump and an utter joy to watch. Where the movie started to lose me was it’s tangential third act. I thought we were done, and then it kept going on a story line that strayed from the original plot. I don’t think we need to follow this rabbit hole when we ended up in the exact place I’d predicted, without the detour. If you ignore that, this was just one of those films that makes you feel good and happy. Sure it’s a lot of sap, but isn’t it nice sometimes to just eat that up and enjoy it?
The Hundred Foot Journey – \m/ \m/ \m/