The Kadam family leaves India for a small village in the South of France to open an Indian restaurant across from the Saule Pleureur, a Michelin-starred restaurant. But Madame Mallory ( Helen Mirren ), the owner of the French gourmet establishment, declares war of the stoves on her new neighbors. Between beef bourguignon and chicken tikka, whoever has the most guests each night wins. Meanwhile, Marguerite ( Charlotte Le Bon ), sous-chef at the upscale restaurant, and Hassan ( Manish Dayal ), prodigal son and unparalleled chef of the Kadam family, come ever closer to one another…

Picture gallery

Adapted from the bestseller by Richard C. Morais and directed by Lasse Hallstöm (of the excellent Gilbert Grape), The Hundred-Foot Journey is a film born under a prestigious star with producers like Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. A true feel-good movie, a kind of Bollywood movie with béchamel sauce, in which roots and traditions stem from tastes opposing tastes and finally come together in harmony. Despite the marvelous pairing of Helen Mirren and Om Puri, the script and narration are too simple, too sentimental and too clichéd. In addition: a nostalgic setting as if in between the wars, with old hit songs and checkered clothes… Even the book type of the cookbooks is out of date, and not a single cell phone in the South of France!