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Chef (2014)

Posted By: Efgrapha

Date: 1 Oct 2014 17:36:47

An out-of-work L.A. chef (writer/director Jon Favreau) opens a food truck in a bid to realize his culinary potential and reconnect with his estranged family in this indie ensemble comedy co-starring Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, and Bobby Cannavale.

Synopsis by Jason Buchanan, Allmovie.com

Don't fill up on concessions if you catch Chef. You're going to want to eat afterward, even with a belly full of popcorn.

Even die-hard vegans may have a hard time resisting this meaty comedy that pretends to be about food, but really is about finding time — for kids, friends, meals and family. In the heat of Hollywood's summer blockbuster bake-off, Chef (***½ out of four; rated R; opens Friday in select cities) is a nuanced side dish, a slow-cooked film that's one of the most heartwarming of the young year.

Jon Favreau plays Carl Casper, a talented but burned-out chef in a trendy Los Angeles eatery run by restaurateur Riva (Dustin Hoffman). Riva recognizes his chef's creative talents and frustrations, but when he learns food blogger Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt) plans to write a review, he demands Carl stick to his stand-by favorites.

Favreau, who also directed, produced and wrote Chef, clearly is venting his own frustrations with studios and critics, who hailed him as a wunderkind when he wrote 1996's Swingers and dismissed him as a sell-out after directing Iron Man 2 and Cowboys & Aliens. And his character's inevitable clash with the critic, in which he upbraids the speechless reviewer for ruining careers for the sake of cleverness, must have been a fantasy embodied for Favreau — and the rest of Hollywood.

Unfortunately for Carl, customers caught the confrontation on video, which goes viral. And when the technologically illiterate dad engages in a public war of words, he becomes a Twitter sensation and is immediately fired.

It's a lengthy set-up for what will become a cross-country road trip as Carl decides to refurbish a food truck that he will drive from Miami to Los Angeles with 10-year-old son Percy (a terrific Emjay Anthony).

But Chef can be forgiven its pace, because taking your time is the movie's driving undercurrent. And Chef does so wonderfully as father, son and sidekick cook Martin (John Leguizamo) travel town-to-town to pick up flavor — in music and, of course, food.

Sofia Vergara, who plays Carl's ex-wife, doesn't get to do much besides watch the boys bond, but is convincing as a mom hoping they'll do just that.

You need not be a foodie to appreciate the film's reverence for a good meal. One meticulous scene in particular, of Carl making a grilled cheese sandwich for his kid at home, somehow underscores the art of cooking — and will have you licking imaginary cheese off your thumb.

More surprising than the great culinary scenes (and there are plenty) are the moments between father and son. Anthony (It's Complicated, the Rake TV series) is wonderful as a kid who pretends to be nonchalant but can't contain the excitement of working next to a dad he only knows on weekends.

Cynics, be warned. There isn't a surprise to be found in Chef, and its bow-tied finale may be too cheesy for some.

But gooey is the point here. Like one of Carl's golden-brown creations, Chef is meant to be enjoyed as a sit-down meal, not snatched on the run.

Pass the butter.

Review by Scott Bowles, USA Today

IMDB 7,3/10 from 45 117 users

Wiki

Director: Jon Favreau

Writer: Jon Favreau

Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey, Jr.