Chef
3.5/4
Starring: Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony, Sofia Vergara, Oliver Platt, Scarlett Johannsen, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downy Jr.
Rated R for Language, including Some Suggestive References
It is a rare thing for a filmmaker's personal project to see the light of day. Movies are expensive to make, even if the stars are willing to forgo their usual huge salaries to appear in it. "Chef" is one such case, and it deserves to be seen. Despite the star power, it doesn't have a lot of money to get its name out there, so I'll gladly fill the role of cheerleader for this wonderful film.
Carl Casper (Favreau) is a devoted cook in a Los Angeles restaurant. An important food critic (Platt) is coming to review the restaurant. Carl wants to cook him a new meal to die for, but his boss (Hoffman) wants him to stick with the usual because it sells (the fact that this material rings true means it has to be based on personal experience for a filmmaker like Favreau). Faced with the loss of his job, Carl agrees, and the restaurant gets a terrible review. After inciting a flame war and further embarrassing himself in a public meltdown that goes viral, Carl loses his job. His ex-wife (Vergara) drags him to Miami for a vacation where he can get to know his son Percy (Anthony), but she has ulterior motives: she wants him to get a food truck from her ex-husband (Downey Jr.) and start his own business making his own food. So with the help of his friend and line cook Martin (Leguizamo) and Percy, they head back to LA serving delicious food as they go.
The divide between doing what we love and doing what is the most profitable is something that is faced by everyone, and for many that divide is huge. Carl loves to cook, but the need to do the same dishes over and over again is making him miserable, as his hostess friend Molly (Johannsen) tells him. But as he begins to do his own thing, he grows much, much happier...and bonds with Percy.
There are two real plotlines (more of character relationships, actually) in this movie: Carl's journey to personal fulfillment and his relationship with Percy. The former is the most effective. The latter works on a mental level, but Favreau and Anthony don't have much chemistry, so I didn't have much of an emotional investment in their relationship.
The acting is strong. Favreau is great as Carl. We feel his inner struggle and his hesitance at following his dream. It's a huge risk, but when he's all out of options, it's the only thing he can do. But Favreau doesn't have the charisma for a leading role, which hinders our emotional attatchment to him. John Leguizamo is also very good as Carl's sidekick; he always has an air of mischief and sense of fun that makes him impossible not to like. Emjay Anthony is also very good; he's not too cute or precocious, which is a good thing. His intelligence and desire to bond with his father make him endearing. Sofia Vergara steals her scenes as Inez. She's luminous and despite being divorced, still loves Carl. The other big members of the cast only have token screen time, with Downey only appearing in one scene.
One element of the film that is worth mentioning is the use of social networking. It's used in a realistic way that fuels the story and the character arcs. Favreau handles this aspect beautifully; there's no sense of contrivance or heavy-handedness.
If there's any flaw with the film, it's that it's a little too understated. I didn't have a swing in my step and I my mouth wasn't watering at all the good-looking food on screen. A little more manipulation would probably have served the film better.
As good as the film is, I see it making a bigger splash when it hits DVD. This kind of film doesn't have the drawing power of many movies, either in content (the film's primary target audience is adults) or in marketing, and it will probably work better in a more intimate setting. Nevertheless, I don't hesitate to recommend seeking this film out to anyone who is interested (or not).
Starring: Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony, Sofia Vergara, Oliver Platt, Scarlett Johannsen, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downy Jr.
Rated R for Language, including Some Suggestive References
It is a rare thing for a filmmaker's personal project to see the light of day. Movies are expensive to make, even if the stars are willing to forgo their usual huge salaries to appear in it. "Chef" is one such case, and it deserves to be seen. Despite the star power, it doesn't have a lot of money to get its name out there, so I'll gladly fill the role of cheerleader for this wonderful film.
Carl Casper (Favreau) is a devoted cook in a Los Angeles restaurant. An important food critic (Platt) is coming to review the restaurant. Carl wants to cook him a new meal to die for, but his boss (Hoffman) wants him to stick with the usual because it sells (the fact that this material rings true means it has to be based on personal experience for a filmmaker like Favreau). Faced with the loss of his job, Carl agrees, and the restaurant gets a terrible review. After inciting a flame war and further embarrassing himself in a public meltdown that goes viral, Carl loses his job. His ex-wife (Vergara) drags him to Miami for a vacation where he can get to know his son Percy (Anthony), but she has ulterior motives: she wants him to get a food truck from her ex-husband (Downey Jr.) and start his own business making his own food. So with the help of his friend and line cook Martin (Leguizamo) and Percy, they head back to LA serving delicious food as they go.
The divide between doing what we love and doing what is the most profitable is something that is faced by everyone, and for many that divide is huge. Carl loves to cook, but the need to do the same dishes over and over again is making him miserable, as his hostess friend Molly (Johannsen) tells him. But as he begins to do his own thing, he grows much, much happier...and bonds with Percy.
There are two real plotlines (more of character relationships, actually) in this movie: Carl's journey to personal fulfillment and his relationship with Percy. The former is the most effective. The latter works on a mental level, but Favreau and Anthony don't have much chemistry, so I didn't have much of an emotional investment in their relationship.
The acting is strong. Favreau is great as Carl. We feel his inner struggle and his hesitance at following his dream. It's a huge risk, but when he's all out of options, it's the only thing he can do. But Favreau doesn't have the charisma for a leading role, which hinders our emotional attatchment to him. John Leguizamo is also very good as Carl's sidekick; he always has an air of mischief and sense of fun that makes him impossible not to like. Emjay Anthony is also very good; he's not too cute or precocious, which is a good thing. His intelligence and desire to bond with his father make him endearing. Sofia Vergara steals her scenes as Inez. She's luminous and despite being divorced, still loves Carl. The other big members of the cast only have token screen time, with Downey only appearing in one scene.
One element of the film that is worth mentioning is the use of social networking. It's used in a realistic way that fuels the story and the character arcs. Favreau handles this aspect beautifully; there's no sense of contrivance or heavy-handedness.
If there's any flaw with the film, it's that it's a little too understated. I didn't have a swing in my step and I my mouth wasn't watering at all the good-looking food on screen. A little more manipulation would probably have served the film better.
As good as the film is, I see it making a bigger splash when it hits DVD. This kind of film doesn't have the drawing power of many movies, either in content (the film's primary target audience is adults) or in marketing, and it will probably work better in a more intimate setting. Nevertheless, I don't hesitate to recommend seeking this film out to anyone who is interested (or not).
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