It’s
no secret that I love John Favareau (any man who brought Iron Man to the big
screen is a friend of mine) and as soon as Robert Downey Junior started posting
about Chef on his twitter I was incredibly eager to see it. I sat down to watch
Chef on Tuesday morning with incredibly high expectations and I must say that
it lived up to every single one of them. This feel good indie comedy managed to
do what so many films fail to accomplish: it presented a feel good storyline
that still managed to have substance behind it. The characters were charming
and endearing while still managing to be flawed and realistic making for a
story that was relatable and uplifting. There was no major trauma, no
devastating events that defined the film; it was simply a feel good story with
a relatable cast of characters that proved to be an incredibly enjoyable and
memorable experience.
Carl Casper (Jon Favareau) is an L.A. chef who established a
glowing reputation early on for creating innovative and unique food but for the
past few years has run the kitchen at an upscale restaurant that pushes the
same expert meals each evening. When Carl hears that Ramsey Michel (Oliver
Platt), a food critic and a fan of Carl in his earlier days is to dine there
that evening, he dreams up an impressive and innovative menu — but is shut down
by his boss Riva (Dustin Hoffman) who wants him just to “play your hits.” He
refuses and is fired. The critic tweets a scathing review, and Carl storms back
into the restaurant, lashing out at Michel in a rant that the other diners
record. It goes viral. With no prospects for restaurant work, he must return to
his roots and find artistic satisfaction as the owner-chef of a taco food
truck. Enlisting the help of his former employee (John Leguizamo) and his son
Percy, Casper embarks on a cross-country road trip in his truck to rekindle his
love for cooking.
Chef boasts a star-studded cast of supporting
characters that help to bring the story to life in a relatable and realistic
way. Sofia Vergara shines as Inez, Carl’s ex wife who despite their recent
divorce really does want the best for him. Favareau’s Iron Man costars Scarlett
Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. make memorable appearances- Johansson as Carl’s
bartender/sometimes girlfriend and Downey as Inez’s previous ex husband who
steals the show in his 5-minute scene in which he provides Carl with the truck
that will allow him to pursue his dreams. Dustin Hoffman also makes a memorable
appearance as Riva, Carl’s boss who represents “the man” in his purest form-
crushing Carl’s culinary creativity in favor of predictable dishes to please
the masses.
However despite the many impressive performances from
the supporting cast, the real standout for me in this film was Emjay Anthony
who portrays Carl’s dejected son Percy with such a charm and innocence that it
is nearly impossible not to fall in love with him. Percy is a pinnacle of
childhood innocence who just wants to spend time with his absentee father that
doesn’t feel contrived or forced. The bond that develops between the two as
they travel across the country in the truck is perfectly documented at the end
of the film in the “one second a day” video that Percy created through the
journey. Through the film, Casper teaches his son the family business and
ultimately learns to know and love him the same way that the audience does.
Overall Chef was incredibly predictable. Some critics might
argue that it didn’t take enough risks, that it wasn’t enough to be truly
memorable. I would argue the opposite. The pure feel good attitude and
impressive cast of characters made it clear that Chef wasn’t trying to be
something it was not. It was not trying to be particularly groundbreaking or
life changing, it was simply an uplifting film about real people and sometimes,
that is enough to make a movie great.
