Writer-director Steven Knight takes a bit of vacation with The Hundred-Foot Journey, only penning the script for director Lasse Hallström, based on Richard C. Morais’ book. A clash of cultures and cuisines arises when a South Asian family and Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), the head of a successful French restaurant, find themselves operating across the street from one another. Things become far more complicated when Mallory woos the rival young cook Hassan (Manish Dayal) away and schools him in the art of French cooking to create something truly miraculous for the palettes of the local patrons. This spicy adaptation arrives courtesy of producers Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. Now in theaters. (PG) Not screened in time for review
