Back Rowe Reviews
Real Time Movie Reviews from the Back Row of a Theater

The Hundred-Foot Journey (PG)

tt2980648
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Starring: Helen Mirren
August 2014

This review was originally tweeted in Real-time from the back row of a movie theater and appears @BackRoweReviews. Though efforts were made to tease rather than ruin this movie’s memorable lines and moments, some spoilers may exist in the following evaluation. The original tweets appear in black, while follow-up comments appear in red. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. All ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!

The Hundred-Foot Journey
Correction: “Hundred Foot” needs to be hyphenated. Relax, it’s not like I messed up the title or anything.

Cooking makes ghosts. An interesting perspective.
One creature must die so that another can live. The circle of life and all that stuff.

The establishing shots of the French village are gorgeous.
The B unit captured some really nice vistas of the village and surrounding countryside.

Mirren visits the enemy’s camp.

Opening night. Establishing a clientele the hard way.
The dog gambit is particularly ingenious…and humorous.

The five French sauces pass the taste test.

The early bird gets the pigeons.
You know what they say about paybacks.

Mirren rejects the peace offering. The war heats up.
Throwing that fine meal in the trash should be a crime.

Mirren makes an omelette...a sumptuous scene.

Hassan makes the titular journey. Learns how to cook classic French cuisine.

Pop the cork...two stars.
Three is the apex; two is superb for a restaurant in a small village.

“Maybe brakes break for a reason.”
In other words, the hand of fate can conspire to bring people together. Then again, maybe they were just old brakes in dire need of repair.

Innovation requires inspiration. Hassan takes a train home.

Final analysis: a delectable clash of cultures film with mouthwatering dishes & a dash of romance.

Rating:
3 out of 4 stars. How could I give it anything else?

Produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey and based on the novel of the same name by Richard C. Morais, this film is a tasty treat for those in the mood for European trappings, fine dining, unassuming romance or all of the above. The film has many quality ingredients, including solid direction by Lasse Hallstrom (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) and yet another virtuoso performance by Helen Mirren, but what prevents it from getting top marks is the last quarter of the movie. Despite a solid setup, the film settles for a standard resolution, which comes complete with an extra helping of schmaltz. The rags-to-riches story device is undeniably inspirational, but it’s also egregiously sentimental, especially when screenwriter Steven Knight employs various media (magazine covers, news reports, etc) in narrating Hassan’s meteoric rise to the upper echelons of elite chefs in Paris…shameless. Still, some people get off on this brand of emotional catharsis and will surely feel serviced by the story’s feel-good elements. However you slice it though, this kind of movie does a disservice by trading on such populist wish fulfillment. In my estimation, this is three-fourths of a good movie, hence the rating. And yet, even with the overwrought resolution, this film is still a journey worth taking, if only for the exquisite entrees and lush landscapes.