Tag: Om Puri

Check Out The New Trailer And Poster For DreamWorks Pictures’ THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

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The brand new trailer and poster for DreamWorks Pictures’ upcoming movie THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY starring Helen Mirren are here.

In THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY, Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France.

Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant – the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren), gets wind of it.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own escalate to all out war between the two establishments – until Hassan’s passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory’s enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore.

At first Mme. Mallory’s culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan’s gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

Beef Bourguinon á la Hassan, a classic French dish with an Indian twist created for the film.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY abounds with flavors that burst across the tongue.

A stimulating triumph over exile, blossoming with passion and heart, with marjoram and madras, it is a portrayal of two worlds colliding and one boy’s drive to find the comfort of home, in every pot, wherever he may be.

Try this new recipe before you see the film on August 8.

Beef Recipe

Directed by Lasse Hallström, and starring Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren, THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY is produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake. The executive producers are Caroline Hewitt and Carla Gardini. The screenplay is written by Steven Knight, based on the novel “The Hundred-Foot Journey” by Richard C. Morais.

Official Site: http://100footjourneymovie.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/100footjourneymovie
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thehundredfootjourney
Twitter: @The100FtJourney #100FootJourney
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/100FtJourney
Tumblr: http://thehundredfootjourney.tumblr.com

Photo: Francois Duhamel

©DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

Review: THE ZOOKEEPER

In an unnamed Eastern European country ravaged by civil war, zookeeper Ludovic (Sam Neill) along with a veterinarian (Om Puri) cares for the animals in a small zoo: a couple of tigers, lions, a panther, several primates (including a pregnant monkey), a couple of elephants and various zebras, llamas, goats, sheep and birds. The city is being bombed, and they’re hoping for a break in the fighting so that relief agencies can airlift the animals to safety.

As Ludovic trudges to and from his dreary job (light years away from the prestigious government job he had before the war), Neill gives an excellent browbeaten performance, his sullen demeanor conveying the shell-shocked, anguished, lowly zoo employee. All the other employees have fled so he is left with the enormous and emotional responsibility of taking care of the animals in the deserted zoo.

The sanctuary of the zoo doesn’t last long as a group of soldiers called The Young Lions, suspicious of the vet’s ethnicity, take him and brutally murder him, leaving Ludovic completely alone. Just as you think he’s about to sink into despair (and vodka), a young boy named Zioig (Javor Loznica) and his mother Ankica (Gina McKee) show up seeking protection from the war outside. Survival becomes desperate as the war inches closer and closer to the zoo.

Sam Neill is a consistently good actor, and he doesn’t disappoint here. Ludovic is the heart of the film – he is the caretaker of the last glimmer of humanity in an awful situation, and Sam Neill’s restrained performance is a perfect fit. All three characters see hope in the zoo – as long as the animals are okay they will be too. The boy becomes attached to a mama wolf that has just had a litter of pups; the mother adopts the pregnant monkey; Ludovic struggles to save an elephant that isn’t getting enough to eat. But the reality of war can’t be stopped, and all that is left is a few precious moments and the need to survive. Relief workers eventually show up, but for some it is too late.

THE ZOOKEEPER is well directed, poignant and emotional. However it is also very depressing and at times difficult to watch. The scenes of animals suffering are a few too many, including one that dragged on so long I had to skip past it, and while I get the importance of such scenes to the movie, it’s ultimately too much. And in the end, that could be why this never saw a theatrical release and is now on DVD.

**** out of 5 stars

**Official Selection of the Toronto International Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the Santa Barbara Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the Seattle International Film Festival**
**Best Film and Best Actor(Sam Neill) Fort Launderdale Film Festival**
**Best Film Pensacola Bay Film Festival**
**Best Film Taos Talking Picture**