Think for a minute about how many father-son comedy-adventure films you have seen just within the past year. It would probably be either too many to remember or not enough to recall. It takes something “spicy” or unusual to make something or even someone really stand apart from the crowd, so to speak.
In Jon Favreau’s(“The Wolf of Wall Street”) first film to write, direct AND act in since 2001’s “Made,” he at one point asks the question with a friend beside him, “Why can’t I have both?” in regards to originality in cooking, as well as the favor of his dining guests. Ironically, stand by my summation that Favreau was indeed looking for the same compromise in the making of this movie.
“Chef” is fast and energetic at the start and remains so for much of the film. It is clear that Favreau has tweaked and, in a way, perfected HIS movie craft and is running with it at full throttle.
A cliché is a cliché for a reason and the same holds true with THIS one: an audience needs to relate with its characters. Jon Favreau as Carl Casper is highly relatable as a typical All-American Dad, or at least I perceive him to be. He is fast-talking, blunt, flawed and even lovably inept.
The impressive cast of “Chef” includes prestigious names of varying roles, not just as primary characters, but as secondary characters, as well. The other primaries consist of Sofia Vergara(“Machete Kills”) as Inez, John Leguizamo(“Walking With Dinosaurs”) as Martin and EmJay Anthony as Percy. Rounding out the cast is: Scarlett Johansson(“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”), Oliver Platt(“X-Men: First Class”), Bobby Cannavale(“Movie 43”), Dustin Hoffman(“Kung Fu Panda 2”), Robert Downey Jr(“Iron Man 3”) and Amy Sedaris(“Puss in Boots”).
While the secondary characters have as little as one to two scenes sprinkled throughout the movie, they are consistently effective and rarely misused. The pace and setting of “Chef” is probably a lot like that of a real restaurant kitchen: a lot of jokes being shared from one to another, an occasional flippant argument about the process of the “finished product,” great teamwork and chemistry and plenty of tension outside the circle, particularly from the snooty and uneducated critics. With that last bit of information in mind, “Chef” seeks to not only be amusing and entertaining to the masses, but to the insiders of the film community and cooking community, as well.
Though this movie unashamedly uses typical story-telling devices, the laughs do not dwindle or grow tiresome in any way. When a film can sustain its momentum do seamlessly from start to finish and have an audience member sustaining true laughter and wide smiles, it makes for a particularly entertaining and inspiring experience. I would go so far as to say that if YOU are not touched in some way by the character interactions of the father and son in the story, you probably just wasted your time.
There is a clear balance between the “dream” world, in other words, idealistic side of the human condition and the REAL world or, often times, down-trodden side of the human experience. Whether it was intentionally intended or not, the symbolism of having the “dream” experience for a creative upturn in cooking AND fatherhood correlates strongly within the story and the same can be said for the painful realization of reality setting in. It is that feeling you may remember when you go to a Comic-Con show for a few days and then you return home and it is suddenly all over. You would not trade that adventure for anything, would you? In fact, the memories of that experience are the bridge between the “dream” state and the real state. If you are truly invested in the characters in “Chef,” you will pick up on this in due time.
Yes, there IS a bit of a fairly tale ending to this, but just think about all that has transpired in this film. Would you HOPE for the best possible outcome in your OWN life, if this happened to you? If the “dream” is possible and can potentially become a reality, then what IS a “dream” really? Whether it be a nightmare or otherwise, it is already inside you, lurking somewhere. THAT is as close to being a part of reality as you could ever imagine, without it being real.
If you are a defender of creativity and freedom and all things in between, this movie should resonate in a positive way. If you are an opponent of these things, perhaps a film like “Chef” is just what you need to take a break from that world for a couple of hours. By the way, if you ever have the chance to munch on some Yucca Fries, whether they are being served at the screening or you pick them up at a restaurant or you cook them at home, make sure they are warm and the dipping sauce is not too heavy on the garlic powder. I discovered this the old-fashioned way: it just happened! If I can spare others of that AND coax you into enjoying a truly uplifting comedy-adventure, father-son story, complete with a strong cast and a solid script, well, I would not feel proud or influential, but I would be happy for you, all the same.
One last thing! If you do not look forward to the film itself, at least be prepared for some great source music, including a local band from the Austin, Texas area.
Director: Jon Favreau
Producers: Jon Favreau, Karen Gilchrist, Sergei Bespalov
Screenwriter: Jon Favreau
Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson as Molly, Oliver Platt as Ramsey Michel, Bobby Cannavale as Tony, Dustin Hoffman as Riva, Robert Downey Jr as Marvin, Amy Sedaris as Jen, EmJay Anthony
Distributor: Open Road Films
Release: May 9th, 2014(limited release)
