hundred foot journey the

The Hundred-Foot Journey

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a film that demands that you take it seriously. With its feel-good themes of multicultural understanding, it is about Something Important. It even comes with the stamp of approval from titanic tastemakers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg , who both serve as producers. What more convincing could you possibly need?

There’s something familiar about the treacly and sanctimonious way this film is being packaged. It reeks of late-‘90s/early ‘00s Miramax fare: films with tasteful yet ubiquitous ad campaigns and unabashed Oscar aspirations which suggested that seeing them (and, more importantly, voting for them) would make you a better person. Films like “The Cider House Rules,” “Chocolat” and “The Shipping News.” Films by Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom.

Hallstrom just happens to be the director here, as well, and the similarities to “Chocolat” are inescapable. Stop me if think you’ve heard this one before: A family moves into a quaint but closed-minded French village and shakes things up with an enticing array of culinary delicacies. This new enterprise happens to sit across the street from a conservative and revered building that’s a town treasure. But the food in question isn’t a bon bon this time—rather, the movie is the bon bon itself.

But despite being handsomely crafted, well acted and even sufficiently enjoyable, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is also conventional and predictable. And for a film that’s all about opening up your senses and sampling spicy, exotic tastes, this comic drama is entirely too safe and even a little bland.

What livens things up, though, is the interplay between Helen Mirren and Om Puri as battling restaurant owners operating across the street from each other—100 feet away from each other, to be exact, a short but fraught trip that various characters take for various reasons. Watching these veteran actors stoop to sabotage each other provides a consistent source of laughs. She’s all sharp angles, piercing looks and biting quips; he’s all round joviality, boisterous blasts and warmhearted optimism. The contrast between the British Oscar-winner and the Indian acting legend offers the only tension in this otherwise soft and gooey dish—that is, until the film goes all soft and gooey, too.

Mirren stars as Madame Mallory, owner of Le Saule Pleurer (The Weeping Willow), an elegant and expensive French restaurant that’s the winner of a prestigious Michelin star. But one star isn’t enough for the coldly driven Mme. Mallory—she wants another, and then another.

But her bloodless quest for gourmet grandeur is interrupted by the arrival across the street of an Indian family: the Kadams, who’ve been wandering around Europe ever since their beloved restaurant back home burned down during political rioting. When the brakes on their car malfunction on a treacherous stretch of spectacular countryside, Papa (Puri) insists it’s a sign from his late wife and decides to open a new eatery in the charming town at the bottom of the hill.

Never mind that one of the most celebrated restaurants in all of France is sitting right across the street from the empty building he rents. Never mind that they are in an insular part of the country where the residents probably don’t even know what Indian cuisine is, much less like it, as his children point out. He has faith in his food—and in his son, Hassan ( Manish Dayal ), a brilliant, young chef.

Just as Papa and Mme. Mallory strike up a sparky rivalry, Hassan enjoys a flirtatious relationship with French sous chef Marguerite ( Charlotte Le Bon , who played an early model and muse in the recent “Yves Saint Laurent” biopic). The script from Steven Wright (who also wrote the far trickier “ Locke ” from earlier this year, as well as “ Dirty Pretty Things ” and “ Eastern Promises ”) is full of such tidy parallels, as well as trite and overly simplistic proclamations about how food inspires memories. Dayal and Le Bon do look lovely together, though, and share a light, enjoyable chemistry.

Then again, it all looks lovely—both the French and Indian dishes as well as the lush, rolling surroundings, which we see through all four seasons; the work of cinematographer Linus Sandgren , who recently shot “American Hustle.” This sweetly pleasing combination of ingredients would have been perfectly suitable if the film didn’t take a wild and needless detour in the third act. That’s when it becomes an even less interesting movie than it already was, in spite of its loftier aspirations.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

• Amit Shah as Mansur
• Manish Dayal as Hassan Haji
• Charlotte Le Bon as Marguerite
• Helen Mirren as Madam Mallory
• Om Puri as Papa
• Lasse Hallström
• Richard C. Morais
• Steven Knight

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The Hundred-Foot Journey

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Rent The Hundred-Foot Journey on Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Prime Video.

What to Know

Director Lasse Hallström does lovely work and Helen Mirren is always worth watching, but The Hundred-Foot Journey travels predictable ground already covered by countless feel-good dramedies.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Lasse Hallström

Helen Mirren

Madame Mallory

Manish Dayal

Hassan Kadam

Charlotte Le Bon

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The Hundred-Foot Journey

• The Kadam family leaves India for France where they open a restaurant directly across the road from Madame Mallory's Michelin-starred eatery.
• The family of talented cook, Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal), has a life filled with both culinary delights and profound loss. Drifting through Europe after fleeing political violence in India that killed the family restaurant business and their mother, the Kadams arrive in France. Once there, a chance auto accident and the kindness of a young woman, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), in the village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val inspires Papa Kadam (Om Puri) to set up a Indian restaurant there. Unfortunately, this puts the Kadams in direct competition with the snobbish Madame Mallory's acclaimed haute cuisine establishment across the street where Marguerite also works as a sous-chef. The resulting rivalry eventually escalates in personal intensity until it goes too far. In response, there is a bridging of sides initiated by Hassan, Marguerite, and Madame Mallory (Dame Helen Mirren), both professional and personal, that encourages an understanding that will change both sides forever. — Kenneth Chisholm ([email protected])
• The Kadam family after leaving India due to a fatal tragedy finally settle in a small town in southern France. They set up a traditional family run Indian restaurant just like they had always planned but opposite a competitive French restaurant. This initial rivalry creates unexpected twists for the better and for the worse in the lives of both the Kadam family and Madame Mallory (Dame Helen Mirren), the owner of the Michelin star restaurant a hundred feet away. — Viir khubchandani
• Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal), the oldest of five siblings, was taught how to cook, but more importantly truly taste and love food, by his mother. Their entire family works together in their open air eatery in Mumbai. In his role, Hassan considers himself a cook and not a chef as he was never professionally trained. Following the tragic death of Hassan's mother, his well-off but frugal Papa Kadam (Om Puri) decides to pack up the family and move to Europe to open a restaurant, the business to keep to his wife's memory in their love of South Asian cuisine. After an initial business misstep in London, Papa believes it is fate that their van breaks down just outside of the French town of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, that they meet a local foodie, a young woman named Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), who introduces them to the abundance of fresh locally sourced produce, seafood and meats, and that there is an abandoned restaurant property on the outskirts of town for sale. Against the wishes of the family, Papa decides to purchase the property for their business, even after learning that the previous owners could not make a go of it because it is a mere one hundred feet from Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin-starred restaurant where Marguerite works as a sous-chef, she trying to work her way up to chef-de-cuisine. Papa's resolve is strengthened as he believes their style of food is not only different than the French, but better in their bold flavors, something he wants to show the locals. Madame Mallory (Dame Helen Mirren), Le Saule Pleureur's proprietress, took over its running following the death of her husband. The restaurant is now her entire life, and she has waited close to thirty years for it to receive its second Michelin-star, so far without success. Madame Mallory does not take too kindly to her new neighbors, not only as potential competition, but in the Kadams', most specifically Papa's, brash and forward approach to life, unlike the refined French. An initial action by Madame Mallory to make sure Maison Mumbai, the Kadams' restaurant, doesn't succeed, leads to an all out war between her and Papa. But a potential bridge emerges between the two restaurants with the budding friendship and possible romance between Hassan and Marguerite. Beyond that friendship and romance, Hassan believes, to survive, they have to meld their bold flavors to local ingredients and techniques, he who wants to learn the art of French cooking from Marguerite. A singular action in that war results in what could be a fundamental shift between all the players at Le Saule Pleureur and Maison Mumbai. — Huggo
• Put young Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) in a kitchen, and he's bound to emerge with a dish that will dazzle. When Hassan's family is forced to move from their native India, his Papa (Om Puri) relocates to a peaceful hamlet in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Determined to give his new neighbors a little taste of home, Papa decides to open an Indian restaurant in the village, and names it "Maison Mumbai". Meanwhile, across the street at the traditional French restaurant Le Saule Pleureu, uptight proprietor Madame Mallory (Dame Helen Mirren) doesn't exactly welcome the competition. When Madame Mallory ignites a bitter feud that quickly escalates, the only hope for a peaceful resolution lies in Hassan's talent for French haute cuisine, and his growing affections for Madame Mallory's pretty young sous chef Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon). Subsequently impressed by Hassan's undeniable culinary talents, Madame Mallory agrees to become Hassan's mentor, in the process providing the perfect creative environment where his unique fusion cuisine can thrive.
• The Kadam family runs a restaurant in Mumbai. The second-oldest son, Hassan (Manish Dayal), was being groomed to replace his mother Ammi (Juhi Chawla) as the restaurant's main cook. However, a mob attacks and firebombs the restaurant after election related riots which are targeted against Muslim establishments. Papa Kadam (Om Puri) and his family evacuate the guests, but Ammi is killed. The oldest son Mansur (Amit Shah) and his sister Mahira (Farzana Dua Elahe) also escape. Seeking asylum in Europe, the family first settles in London, where their residence proves ill-suited for a restaurant as it was on the approach path for airplanes landing at Heathrow and very noisy. Hassan continues to teach himself on cooking skills with European meats. Hassan believes that London vegetables have no soul. They depart for mainland Europe. Shortly after entering France, the brakes on Papa's van fail near Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the Midi-Pyrenees. Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), a sous chef at an upscale French restaurant named "Le Saule Pleureur" ("The Weeping Willow"), passes by and offers to help the Kadams find an auto repair shop (to get the van fixed) and a guest house. She brings the Kadams to her apartment and treats them to cold food. Papa is amazed at the quality of the food in the village and its availability and discovers that Marguerite made the food herself. Papa learns of an abandoned restaurant building available for purchase in the town. It's located directly across the street--only 100 feet-from another restaurant called Le Saule Pleureur. The abandoned restaurant has space for 50 tables, has a covered yard and space for a Tandoori oven. The family is against buying the restaurant as the previous owners could also not make it work due to the restaurant across the street. The Le Saule has a Michelin Star. Papa is adamant that they have a unique cuisine to offer and buys the restaurant. Papa believes that the locals have never tasted their food, and hence don't know what they are missing in life. Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), "Le Saule Pleureur's owner, asks the Kadams to leave (when he comes to inspect the property) because it is "private property". Papa buys the property, even though the rest of his family is against it, and names the restaurant "Maison Mumbai". Hassan finds many French cookbooks in the restaurant. The family works together to fix the restaurant and make it ready for opening night. Mallory runs a tight ship and makes sure that only perfect dishes are served in her restaurant with the freshest ingredients supplied by local markets. Marguerite tells Hassan that Mallory only cares about earning the 2nd star for her restaurant. Marguerite is herself studying to become the Chef De Cuisine. Mallory comes over to Maison Mumbai to ask for a menu and then buys all the locally available ingredients needed to cook their dishes on opening night. Papa and Hassan have to drive 50 miles to another town to get the ingredients they need. This leaves them with very little time to complete the cooking. No customers turn up for the opening night, so Papa changes into a traditional Indian wear and waits outside the restaurant to entice passersby to enter the restaurant. Mallory's Le Saule is an upscale dining experience, while Maison Mumbai has a festive feel to it. A cold war erupts between Papa and Mallory. Meanwhile Hassan learns French cooking with constant help & a budding romance with Marguerite. Papa & Mallory continue to try and rile each other by filing complaints about each other with the town mayor (Michel Blanc). Mallory complains about the loud music at Papa's restaurant. Papa pays in kind by buying all the pigeons needed for Mallory's menu that she prepared for the visiting minister. Hassan feels this is morally wrong and gifts the pigeons to Mallory by cooking them into a dish, as per specifications. Mallory tastes the dish and throws it in garbage, but secretly she knows that it was cooked perfectly. The war peaks on Bastille Day when one of Mallory's chefs, Jean-Pierre (Clément Sibony), and two others vandalize the Kadams' restaurant by spray-painting words which translate to "France for the French" on the outer wall and firebombing the interior (Mallory has nothing to do with it). Hassan catches the arsonists in the act and scares them off, but his hands and legs are burned from the petrol bombs. That evening Mallory fires Jean-Pierre and cleans up the graffiti on Maison Mumbai's outer wall. Hassan, having heard from Marguerite that Mallory hires potential chefs by taste-testing an omelet and deciding whether the person is indeed a great chef, asks if he may cook an omelet for her to his recipe. Due to his injured hands, Mallory helps under Hassan's supervision. After tasting the omelet, Mallory recognizes Hassan's potential and invites him to work for her. Papa is initially against the move, but ultimately strikes a deal with her as to Hassan's pay. They settle on 320 euros a week, increasing to 350 euros after 3 months. Hassan goes to take Marguerite's permission to cook for Mallory, as he knows that entering Mallory's kitchen would put Hassan and Marguerite in direct competition with each other. Hassan's cooking results in Mallory's restaurant receiving its second Michelin Star. The award draws national attention to Hassan's cooking, and he is offered and accepts a job in Paris. Papa and Mallory make amends and begin seeing each other. Hassan's cooking in Paris quickly receives critical acclaim, fueling speculation of a third Michelin Star for the Paris restaurant, but his work is increasingly bogged down by thoughts of his family and Marguerite (with whom he had an ongoing romance). Hassan returns home and reunites with Marguerite. He invites Marguerite to join him in a business venture-buying a stake in Mallory's restaurant, along with operational control. Hassan believes this will help the restaurant earn its third star. That evening, Hassan and Marguerite prepare dinner at Mallory's restaurant and bring the dishes across the road to the courtyard of Maison Mumbai for all to enjoy.

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The Hundred-Foot Journey

Cast & crew.

Helen Mirren

Madame Mallory

Manish Dayal

Hassan Kadam

Charlotte Le Bon

Cultures clash in the kitchen in warm family drama.

• Average 6.3
• Reviews 146

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