Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Chef - Movie Review


Jon Favreau is credited as writer, director, and star of his latest film called Chef. This heartwarming story about a chef who decides to open a food truck also features John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Scarlett Johansson, Sofía Vergara, Oliver Platt, Robert Downey Jr., and Emjay Anthony.


After a heated incident with a food blogger goes viral on the internet, Chef Carl Casper (Favreau) loses his job and is left at a crossroads in his life where he must decide between working for a living and chasing his dreams. His decision isn't made any easier with his ex wife Inez (Vergara) wanting him to reconnect with their son Percy (Anthony) and also encouraging him to venture out on his own by starting a food truck business. While the idea might seem a little outlandish, it may be just the opportunity he needs to bring back the energy that made him a great chef in the first place.

I have to say first of all that watching this movie made me very happy if not hungry as well. Jon Favreau has put together a movie filled with extremely likable actors playing extremely likable characters in an extremely likable story which is filled with an extremely likable soundtrack. Yeah, I'm thinking you get the idea...this is a very likable movie. The only thing I found not to my liking was that, at some point, it had to end. This may seem like unreasonably high praise, but I really did enjoy everything about this movie.

The story itself is all about relationships, discovery, and food. From what I understand, Chef Roy Choi was brought in to create all of the different food items and dishes we see in the movie. The man known as the "King of L.A. Food Trucks" definitely knows how to make your mouth water with recipes that draw from just about every corner of the world. By the time I was done watching the movie, I couldn't help but head out to one of my favorite restaurants so I could pretend I was actually experiencing what I had just witnessed during the movie.

As I hinted at earlier, the job done casting this movie was nothing short of brilliant. I imagine Favreau called in a few favors as more than a couple veterans of his previous films are present and accounted for. Brief appearances by Robert Downey Jr. and Dustin Hoffman are very entertaining and the young Emjay Anthony actually holds his own while being constantly surrounded by so many talented and experienced actors. Favreau and Leguizamo make a great team and you really believe these guys have known each other forever as their skills in the kitchen play off each other perfectly. Speaking of perfection, I will just say this: Scarlett Johansson and Sofia Vergara.


By now you get the idea that I really enjoyed this movie. If not, then you're really strange and you should go back to the top and start reading again. Chef contains the perfect mix of ingredients that any film maker would drool over the chance to work with and Favreau does a masterful job of dishing out a story that will satisfy even the most discerning of pallets. Please go see this movie.




 


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