Chef-An Honest Review

The 2014 comedy was written, directed and even stars Jon Favreau. It’s the story of a chef who urges to expand his passion, so he travels the US of A working on a food truck with his son.

PLOT:

Carl Casper ( Jon Favreau ) is the head chef at a high-end restaurant with a very strict menu, heavily monitored by his boss Riva ( Dustin Hoffman ). At the same time he attempts to maintain a relationship with his 12 year old son, Percy ( Emjay Anthony ), who he had with his ex-wife Inez ( Sofia Vergara ). Now he seemingly has a relationship with his colleague, Molly ( Scarlett Johansson ). Johansson’s character and the romance sideplot both get completely forgotten about about a third into the film.

Carl gets into a Trump style Twitter feud with the cities biggest food critic. Ending with a monologue on how much he hates critics who just trash other people’s work. Not gonna’ lie I felt a little bit attacked by that, given how I’ve trashed a couple movies on this site, but it’s a food critic so-doesn’t really count.

This gets him fired. So, what does he do? He does what any reasonable man would do in this situation. He goes to his ex-wife’s-ex-husband Marvin ( Robert Downey Jr. ) basically a copy paste of a slightly less rich Tony Stark, and buys a food truck. Travelling the country with his son and his ex-colleague, selling food and sharing adventures until the end of the Summer.

Over the time on the road, Carl and his son get closer and closer. The boy even becoming a genuinally competent chef in his own right. Ultimately, the Summer break ends, Percy has to go back to school, and Carl goes back to his home city, whereever that is exactly. Then, right at the end of the film, the two reunite alongside Sofia Vergara for another cookout. The End.

CONCLUSSION:

I found out about this film after watching an interview from Jeff Bridges and Matthew McConaughey, Bridges having previously collaborated with Favreau in 2008’s Iron Man. The Dude spoke very highly of the film. After watching the film myself, I understood why.

Chef was overall a fun, lighthearted movie. Showing how one’s passion can drive you both insane, and also to great things at the same time. Favreau also showing he can hold a film as an actor, rather than just a director and or minor character, like Happy Hogan in the Iron Man movies/ MCU.

Jon Favreau, though far from being the greatest of all time, is still a very versatile director of modern cinema. From the superhero action movie Iron-Man, to the borderline Jumanji ripoff set in space ‘Zathura’. His movies may range in quality, but also in what they have to offer. Wheras many directors films feel identitcal to each other even if they all have different setting, cast, characters 1and plot elements.

Overall, because of everything this film has going for it, along with it’s great cast, I’d give this film a 7.5/10.

– The Screenwriter

Thumbnail belongs to Paul Sableman.

License – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

PS, happy birthday to Ethan Hawke