An average movie

When was the last time that Lasse Hallström has directed a really good movie? Anyway, this time around,  he went for something really similar to 'Chocolat' (which must be his most overrated movie) and, even though it seemed to be quite popular, it didn't really work for me, I'm afraid. First of all, even though it felt like a true story, it was actually some fiction. As a result, while watching the damned thing, I was really impressed by this Indian guy who managed to become one of the best chefs in France but, in fact, it never actually happened so this tale became suddenly much less powerful. Another thing that bothered me was the fact, pretty much like with 'Chocolat', once again, Hallström struggled to make an English-speaking movie in France with a majority of French characters. Seriously, it was a mess. Indeed, sometimes, within the very same conversation, the characters would switch from English to French and back to English without any reason. I also don't understand why they chose Helen Mirren to play this part. I mean, she wasn't bad and her French was actually pretty good but I could easily name 10 French actresses who would have been better for this part. And, yet, I have to admit it, the whole thing was still a decent watch. Indeed, Hallström knows how to create a really nice mood, the cooking was fascinating and the food really looked delicious. Seriously, after watching the damned thing, I actually really felt like cooking and eating something really nice. In fact, I actually that this story really had some potential but the rivalry between the 2 restaurants was really boring and predictable and I wish they actually got rid off it but since it was the whole point of the book it was based on... Anyway, to conclude, even though it was yet another weak effort from the Swedish director, I think it is still worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

6/10