Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • August 20, 2014 ‘Hundred-Foot Journey’ depicts clash of traditions by Dennis Seuling “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a pleas- ant movie about the clash of traditions, elegantly prepared food, finding oneself in the world, and discovering love in unlikely places. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the film is a welcome alternative to typical summer fare at the cinema since there is not a spandex-clad superhero, explosion, or car chase in sight. This is a gentle film about the problems and conflicts of real people. Forced to leave their Indian home when their restaurant is destroyed, the Kadam family settles in a small village in France. The family is headed by Papa (Om Puri), who discovers a property for sale where he believes he can open a new restaurant with his son Hassan (Manish Dayal) as chef and the four other children pitching in. The problem is that across the road is the Michelin-starred restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), an aloof woman who runs her establishment with military precision and prides herself on serving exquisitely prepared classic French dishes. She regards her new neighbors, their cuisine, their informal style, and their restaurant — Maison Mumbai — with dis- dain. She tries everything to sabotage their enterprise. The early part of the movie features the sparring between Papa and the judgmen- tal Madame Mallory, both of whom are fiercely stubborn. Meanwhile, Hassan has taken a fancy to Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), a sous chef at the French restaurant, and longs to establish himself as a world- class chef. He knows he has much to learn, but he has talent and determination. “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a char- acter-driven movie. Mirren, who special- Om Puri, Manish Dayal, and Helen Mirren in ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey.’ izes in playing austere, imposing women, presents two sides of Madame Mallory. Her coolness and intractability are not the entire portrait. This woman has another, softer dimension that reveals itself gradu- ally as the film unfolds. This development is believable because the script by Steven Knight (based on the book by Richard C. Morais) provides some crisp dialogue and situations that dramatically alter Madame’s perception of the Kadams. She comes to see them as people rather than stereotypes and rivals. Puri is fun to watch. He plays a shrewd businessman with a vision of the future and resolute determination despite personal loss and family hardship. In Papa, Madame Mal- lory has met her match. This elderly gentle- man is perhaps the first person ever to take her on, and she is thrown off balance by the challenge. Yet there is never any doubt that, at heart, Papa Kadam is sweet and gentle. Dayal pales beside his two co-stars. He is charming and good looking, but cannot hold the screen the way Mirren and Puri do. Le Bon is far more successful as a bright young woman who shares Hassan’s love of preparing fine food. Her cheerful personal- ity brightens her scenes and she is instantly likable. Marguerite provides some pointers on French cuisine to Hassan, and they even- tually fall in love. Unfortunately, because of the strong leads and Dayal’s limita- tions, this romantic sub-plot lacks the spice Hassan favors in his cooking. There are no earth-shaking conflicts in this movie, though the characters and story are engaging. One episode focuses on xeno- phobia, but this incident does more to draw the rival restaurateurs together than dis- tance them. Several close-ups are devoted to beautiful vegetables and assorted kitchen activities. Though preparation styles differ significantly in the two restaurants, the devotion to quality and authenticity of both business owners is never in doubt. Rated PG, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” has a leisurely pace that permits viewers to get to know the characters and see how their perceptions change as their hopes and dreams develop. The formula may be famil- iar, but it is like looking at a menu of famil- iar items. The familiar can be enjoyable and fresh if presented just the right way.