Greetings again from the darkness. Comfort food gets its name from the level of familiarity and satisfaction it brings us. It's the opposite of "Innovation. Innovation. Innovation" that plays a role in this story as we follow the culinary advancement of the young chef Hassan. Director Lasse Hallstrom long ago mastered the art of tapping into the emotional heart strings of viewers (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, An Unfinished Life, Chocolat), so his films can easily be viewed as the movie version of comfort food ... they deliver what's promised with no unwanted surprises.
From the novel by Richard C Morais, the screenplay by Steven Knight (Locke) serves up exactly what we expect and satisfies our taste for slick and sweet entertainment with characters who are both likable and learn their life lessons quickly. Even the backstory of tragedy that brings Kadan family from India is told in a near painless (and improbable) flashback manner as the family goes through customs.
While their travels and heartbreak could have been the story, we instead are front row for the cultural battlefield of snooty French restaurant vs friendly Indian family home-cooking ... 100 feet apart. A snooty French restaurant with a Michelin star requires the ever-present condescending high society Madame Mallory as the movie's "villain". Of course, when played by Helen Mirren, we know immediately that bad will turn to good. The driving force behind her transformation is Papa, played superbly by Om Puri. Stereotypes abound, but at least there is some humor blended so as not to be overcooked.
The real basis for the movie is the extraordinarily talented young chef Hassan (played by Manish Dayal). His skill in the kitchen folded in with his overall niceness make it impossible for Madame Mallory or her sous-chef Margueritte (Charlotte Le Bon) to avoid taking notice in their own ways.
The cultural differences certainly could have been played up and further examined, as could the backstory of all involved - the Indian family and Madame Mallory. An added level of depth and mystery could have been added if, say Catherine Deneuve had been cast in the Helen Mirren role (box office draw obviously played a role in her casting). More detail could have been provided for Hassan's time in Paris as well as what occurs with his Papa while he is away.
Instead, the movie and the story go exactly where we expect it to go, providing the level of enjoyment and satisfaction that we demand from our comfort food. And there's nothing wrong with a big serving of that from time to time.
From the novel by Richard C Morais, the screenplay by Steven Knight (Locke) serves up exactly what we expect and satisfies our taste for slick and sweet entertainment with characters who are both likable and learn their life lessons quickly. Even the backstory of tragedy that brings Kadan family from India is told in a near painless (and improbable) flashback manner as the family goes through customs.
While their travels and heartbreak could have been the story, we instead are front row for the cultural battlefield of snooty French restaurant vs friendly Indian family home-cooking ... 100 feet apart. A snooty French restaurant with a Michelin star requires the ever-present condescending high society Madame Mallory as the movie's "villain". Of course, when played by Helen Mirren, we know immediately that bad will turn to good. The driving force behind her transformation is Papa, played superbly by Om Puri. Stereotypes abound, but at least there is some humor blended so as not to be overcooked.
The real basis for the movie is the extraordinarily talented young chef Hassan (played by Manish Dayal). His skill in the kitchen folded in with his overall niceness make it impossible for Madame Mallory or her sous-chef Margueritte (Charlotte Le Bon) to avoid taking notice in their own ways.
The cultural differences certainly could have been played up and further examined, as could the backstory of all involved - the Indian family and Madame Mallory. An added level of depth and mystery could have been added if, say Catherine Deneuve had been cast in the Helen Mirren role (box office draw obviously played a role in her casting). More detail could have been provided for Hassan's time in Paris as well as what occurs with his Papa while he is away.
Instead, the movie and the story go exactly where we expect it to go, providing the level of enjoyment and satisfaction that we demand from our comfort food. And there's nothing wrong with a big serving of that from time to time.