After a disaster at home an Indian family moves to a small French village, where they decide to open a restaurant. Across the street is a one-star establishment run by a stuffy widow (Helen Mirren). The predictable culture conflicts ensue before the plot takes an extended turn around the son’s culinary gifts. This is an entertaining but unoriginal movie (it is a Disney production, after all). The performances are all winning (patriarch Om Puri provides the laffs), Lasse Hallstrom’s assured direction is solid and the cinematography of the countryside is lovely. It’s also too long and lacking in any heft. While some may delight in its trite charms, it doesn’t provide a fully-satisfying entrée.
(3.5 / 5)