“The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a culinary voyage co-produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, and Juliet Blake and directed by Lasse Hallström with a screenplay by Steven Knight adapted from Richard C. Morais‘s book of the same name. The film hits theaters this Friday, August 8.
From the beginning of the film, we could feel the beauty of the spices and colors included. There is a very important focus placed on the food. From detailed and zoomed shots of the exquisite plates, to the facial expressions caused by this food, we felt like we could almost taste each bite.
Just like Oprah said in a clip before the film, “Steven and I are really just honored to play our part in bringing this deliciously charming story to life,” we certainly agree that this is a deliciously charming story.
There is a sense of humanity in this story that makes the characters relatable, approachable, and overall lovable. We have all been through situations where we are trying to fit in a scenario that we are not accustomed to, and we empathized with the struggle of the Kadam family. Hassan Kadam, played by Manish Dayal, had a special touch for cooking.
In this mouthwatering film, the Kadam family is trying to settle down and open a family restaurant in the south of France. Once they realize there is a Michelin Star rated restaurant just one hundred feet away, the complications and competition begin.
The plot is fairly simple, but it is the way the characters portray the story that makes it so appealing. In one scene, Hassan is in Paris and gets allured by the scent of a co-worker eating Indian food. When he begins eating his first bite, his co-worker says: “every bite takes you home.” This phrase was so succinct, yet so beautiful. Just a few words like that can manage to bring us back to our comfort foods and favorite meals from back home.
Once we realized the connection of food and feelings, we couldn’t help but to adore the laughs, the cries, and every single bite we saw. A film full of emotion, kindness, and colorful ingredients, will reach out to your hearts and make you want to eat at Floyd Cardoz’s new restaurant in Tribeca. (Cardoz is a renowned chef who made some of the dishes of the film and served a a consultant.)
