The Hundred Foot Journey
'No family is an island onto itself. It's always a part of a larger culture: a community.'
This movie is about food. Food, food and more food. It’s
like a food carnival. A cross cultural culinary tale directed by Lasse Hallstrom.
It is the film adaptation of the best seller novel of the same name by Richard
Morais’. French and Indian cuisine shown in all colors and flavors would leave
you feeling hungry by the end of the movie.
An Indian family plans and moves to Europe to a French
locale to start an Indian restaurant there. They start from scratch to build a
legacy just across the road of a already Michelin starred restaurant.
I loved the movie not only for its picturesque locales and
beautiful colorful dishes, but also for its story and plot. It’s a story about
following your dreams, and finding satisfaction and success in what you love
doing the most. Searching for quality mushrooms in wilderness, catching fish
together, sniffing the supplies before using them and tasting the wonders
created in the kitchen, Hassan and Marguerite enjoyed the fusion of all things
good in French and Indian way of cooking. Aiming for Michelin Star, both paved
their path with continuous effort but Hassan was the one to get it first. ‘He’s
now for the Gods. The world is waiting for him,’ the Madame Mallory said
overwhelmed by his achievement. He created art with his signature dishes, mastered
the ‘science’ of cooking and soon this Indian boy from nowhere found place in
magazine covers and headlines of newspapers. I was left bewildered and happily
surprised by the elaborate ‘cooking labs’. It’s a must watch.
Food makes us emotional. Food creates memories. Certain
smells reminds us of our loved ones. The taste of ‘jalebis’ reminded Hassan of
his late mother, and that of vinegar made Margaret miss her late father. Every
bite of Indian food with ‘amchur’, ‘kalajeera’ and ‘garam masala’ takes Hasaan
home, down the memory lane to his childhood, to his mother. There’s a scene
where Hassan learns to make the five main sauces of French cuisine, reading the
cookery books loaned from Marguerite, and achieves perfection in just one day.
Marguerite is beyond words as his skill and talents surpass all her
expectation. I really, really wanted to taste those sauces- especially the
soya-sauce like black one, and the velvety red one.
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