I used to take a basic film course in the UK, because it was taught by the Department of Literature, so I talked about interpretation and analysis. I used film as a text, and there were few generalizations of genre films. The professor mentioned Melodrama several times, but it seemed to be a trivial attitude. Later, the westerns written in the thesis did not study what Melodrama is.
Therefore, in such a contextless and backgroundless situation, I believe The Hundred-Foot Journey is a Melodrama. Melodrama has two intuitive feelings: the plot is concentrated, with ups and downs. Still speaking from the narrative, it can be boiled down to one technique, namely contrast.
Why does an Indian dad have two sons? I thought it was for comparison. There is a fragment that is very impressive. The youngest son and the eldest daughter opposed the father with one word, while the eldest son was silent. That kind of strong contrast makes this movie very "like a play"—concentration of contradictions. When the classic car almost had an accident, the younger son got angry violently, while the older son followed his father and looked at the village in the twilight with a solemn expression. It is also a contrast, and it is a very dramatic, or "dramatic" contrast.
Even two restaurants are on the same street. In the French kitchen, there is also a justice (boss wife) and an evil (bomb-throwing chef). Melodrama doesn't have serious problems—it doesn't discuss propositions, or any grand themes—its contradiction is such less urgent skirmishes.
So Melodrama is very brisk.
However, The Hundred-Food Journey always makes people feel that something is missing. I often think of Teacher Zhang Ning’s comment on Bi Feiyu’s "Tuina". He said that the writing is very good, the language is good, and the reading is fluent. But why should I spend two nights to understand how blind people fall in love? I am not saying that all literature and art must have grand narratives and in-depth care. However, if I want to laugh, I can go to a comedy movie. I want to cry, you can watch youth movies. I want to feel the sublime, just watch Marvel. Melodrama's position seems to be a little bit inferior.
For example, in this drama, about two-thirds of the time, there is the impulse and idleness to look at the mobile phone. Because predictable. So predictable that you even feel the impulse to not look at the ending. Just because it is a small conflict, the resolution of this conflict will not bring tears to your eyes. So much, you will send out that American-style Hmmm Ohhhhh.
Hmmm Ohhhh, that's sweet. This is Melodrama.
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