Review of The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014) by Foxgrove — 21 Sep 2014

Lasse Hallstrom's 'The Hundred Foot Journey' is far superior to his earlier oscar nominated 'Chocolat' which was an equally light confection using food as a theme. The earlier film, however, lacked this one's delightful emotional connection. Helen Mirren doesn't have to stretch herself too much here as a Michelin starred restaurant owner suddenly confronted with competition, but she is superb.

The film has been skilfully and lovingly made and director Hallstrom's uses a variety of techniques, aided by smart editing, to make the film's flow seem lyrical and effortless. Tracking shots,super imposed images and fade outs serve the simple cross cultural story well. The radiantly colourful cinematography, the very picturesque setting and the beautifully unobtrusive score combine and contribute to a very tasty dish indeed.

All the actors are a delight and the scenes of food preparation are seductively shot to make you feel hungry. My only quibbles are that some of the romantic interludes are conventionally predictable and also the early 'battling' between Mirren and Puri comes over as a bit twee. This aside, however, the film really works and the end result leaves one feeling like you have just par taken of a delicious meal at a fine dining establishment. Undoubtedly one of the most purely satisfying films of 2014, and another that has been undervalued by the sniffy critics.