It’s been a really long while since the last time I wrote a post in English. I’ve been writing in Spanish for almost two years now and I completely forgot that I was actually good at this. Tonight after a very interesting and intense day, I took one hour and a half to actually sit down and watch a movie that I was waiting to see since the first time I saw it’s trailer… The Hundred Foot Journey. Before you keep reading this post, I promise you I’m completely different from all the bloggers and journalists you’ve read before. This is not a critique. This is not to destroy the actors or the film with words. It’s just a point of view of how much I’ve learned about this absolutely delightful piece.
First of all, I learn insanely fast. I absorb information like no other, and it is not only about fashion that I talk about. If you get to know me one day, you’ll see that I can talk about almost everything. From food to cars, or/and from fashion to medicine, I honestly think that there’s a charm or magic about almost anything that surround us every single day.
Today is about the culinary arts. It’s about a dysfunctional family that moves all the way from India to a little place in France, San Antonin, where a simple Indian boy becomes this amazing chef by mixing the ancient spices into the classic French food. Yes, it is a little cliché, but every single scene is an absolute delight. I don’t know if it is the legendary charm that the food gives us, but you actually see that going back to your roots it’s never a bad idea.
This film, featuring Helen Mirren in a very new way and Manish Dayal (Raj from 90210), brings up the fact that first, all families have their own tweaks and off-days that we all might think some might not have, but hey… They do. Second, that mixing cultures and believing in a dream, DOES take you further. I mean, I might not be the most experienced person inside the industry, but my dream has taken me into an amazing project, in a country that is not the place where I was born.
Third, after accidents or disappointments happen, you still have to keep going. Do not give up. I know it sounds so stupid, but hang in there. Life will reward you in the most mysterious ways. In the movie, Hassan has this accident where he burns his hands, his family goes through a fire, and because he still has this brilliant mind, he gets to show the master in cooking and French food (Helen Mirren or Madame Mallory), that he’s the one next to take over the restaurant business. He makes it and it is inspiring. It is a different story. (Besides the Parisian landscape it’s a true delight).
Fourth, a lot of fun facts about the Michelin stars come up. The most interesting and obvious one? It’s not pronounced like ‘Mee-cheh-leen’, it is pronounced ‘Mee-cheh-lawn’. Someday you’ll remember this sentence (or at least I hope). Next, the flavors of your home cuisine will ALWAYS take you back. Either if it is a memory or a song or anything, don’t let that go. That is a small fragment that will keep you attached into your country’s culture. (I miss my hometown so much, because of this).
Fifth and final before this gets too boring, believe in love and simplicity. I haven’t believed the first one yet, but simplicity does matter and does work. The whole movie doesn’t move much away from a simple street or village, and the charm keeps you glued to the screen during the one or two and a half hours. Honestly, it has been a while since I’ve watched a movie completely still (without logging into Facebook or Twitter), and this film made it happen again. It is funny, it is cultural, it is a true dessert for the eye. Watch it. I know you’ll love it, and want more (obviously I don’t expect a sequel because… Oh God, that’ll be killing the piece).
MODALOGY... by Catalina Romero 