Grammatical arguments aside – in several examples of the title, it refuses to carry the hyphen – **The Hundred-Foot Journey **(fixed it!) promises to deliver feel-good light comedy, culture clash drama and full-on Helen Mirren haught-snark. Have a look at the new UK trailer.
Adapted from Richard C. Morais’ book, the story follows Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal), a culinary ingénue with a true talent. When Hassan and his family, led by his dad Papa (Om Puri), move to a quaint village in the South of France with the grand plan of opening an Indian restaurant in the picturesque countryside, they are undeterred by the fact that only 100 feet opposite stands a Michelin-starred and very traditional French eatery.
But upon encountering the icy owner, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), the Kadam family realise they may have bitten off more than they can chew. Outraged by the new arrivals, Madame Mallory is determined to have their business shut down. Soon, all-out war is churning between the two establishments – until, that is, Hassan’s passion and talent for French cuisine begin to enchant Madame Mallory and even she can’t deny this young chef could have what it takes to garner even more acclaim for her beloved restaurant…
This one appears to continue the foodie comedy delivered this week by Jon Favreau’s Chef, albeit with the added spice of warring factions. Lasse Hallstrom called the shots (the premise does have shades of his Chocolat), with Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Julliet Blake overseeing things as producers. **The Hundred-Foot Journey **opens for business on September 12.