Over the course of the last few weeks, I have seen all four of the above movies, which all deal with food. I attribute my viewing to all the snow days we have had when it seems food is on my mind a lot.
“Le Chef” is a French import starring Jean Reno. Reno stars as a tempermental master chef who is in danger of losing his reputation and his restaurant. Michael Youn is an unlucky young chef who can’t seem to get a break. Then their paths cross and, of course, Reno learns from his young challenger. It is a lighthearted, enjoyable film. “Chef” is an American movie that deals with food trucks. Featuring an all star cast, it is a comedy-drama. It was written, directed, and stars Jon Favreau as a chef who has lost his restaurant and his forced to open a food truck. I expected this to be more of a comedy and was unprepared for the drama.
“The Lunch Box” is set in Mumbai, India. It is a love story that involves the unique Indian delivery of lunch to office workers. Mimrat Kaur packs a lunch for her husband every day. It is picked up by a delivery service and brought to his office. One day, it is delivered to the wrong man–Infan Khan. He knows that this isn’t the lunch he ordered, but proceeds to eat it anyhow. He encloses a note favorably commenting on the food. The note and the empty containers make their way back to Mimrat Kaur. Thus begins a relationship between these two lonely people. This is an unusual film with an exotic setting. I really enjoyed it.
The newest “food film” that I have seen is “The Hundred Foot Journey.” The film is based on the novel of the same name, which I read and enjoyed. Set in a small French town, this is a story of clashing food tastes, a quest for a Michelin star, and a two generational love story. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom this is a good film made better by the work of Helen Mirren.