It has been a fucking long time since I was last in a theater; a month I believe. That’s not good when you’re supposed to be a film blogger but what am I going to say? I’ve been busy with my real person job and I honestly just haven’t been pulled out to the theater in the last month by anything. Like always, I’m waiting to see the bigger films like Godzilla/X-Men until the crowds die down because I get anxiety from assholes talking during the movie I paid for. This doesn’t necessary mean I wait for everything as I’m going out tomorrow to see “The Double” and I’m also writing this review right now on Jon Favreau’s latest film, “Chef”.
First let me say that I was in the theater with mostly old people who proceeded to talk during the whole movie. The thing is, it was okay! I actually didn’t mind because of how the film was and I’ll get into that in a minute. I’ll also say that old men don’t give a shit who they sit next to. I was sitting three seats from the left in a row and to my right were four open seats. Older couple walks in, sits down, to my left. They didn’t give a shit if they could of had empty seats next to me. They wanted to sit near the isle and I was going to have to sit next to the old man. I didn’t mind one bit. Who the hell cares? First off, I was there first and I’ll be damned if I’m going to move my seat just because somebody else sat next to me for no reason but why would I have to? The guy wasn’t wheezing like the penguin from “Toy Story”. He didn’t smell like death and I felt no fear that he was going to hold me hostage before Mr. Death came by and took him away. I don’t understand the heebie jeebies with sitting next to people in a theater unless they’re Paul Reubens. They’re just people.
I digress.
Chef! I had the choice to either see Chef or the Spiderman sequel and you know what? FUCK SPIDERMAN! I’ll take an original film over that cash cow any day. I believe I was first introduced to Mr. Favreau while watching the film “Swingers”, which while not being directed by him, both starred and was written by the man. Jon has gotten a little bigger in the wallet and waistline since then but he’s a talented writer/directer and this seemed like a return to form for him. It was. I ended up really enjoying the film.
The film centers around Carl, played by Favreau himself, who gets fired from his job running a restaurant for telling a food critic to shove it. He then grabs his partner and ten year old son and embarks on a journey to create the ultimate food truck.
I should not have gone into this hungry. This is what most of the people in the theater were talking about, the food. The food was gorgeous and goddamn mouth watering. It was like watching an episode of “Chopped” instead all the food looked somewhat normal and tasty. There’s a Cuban place near me that does authentic Cuban food while blasting Cubano music from 100 speakers. I’ll be visiting them soon because I have a hankering for a Cuban sandwich now. I wanted to tell everybody to shut up but I would have been kicked out by an angry mob of starving lunatics. It was acceptable and I went along with it. The music in the film is also fantastic. They used a very horn heavy selection of songs mixed in with a little up tempo blues. One of my favorite blues musicians, Gary Clark Jr, actually makes a cameo. Speaking of cameos with a guy who has a Jr. at the end of his name, if you’re going to see this film because of RDJ, don’t. He’s in it for five minutes. He isn’t funny. I suppose he’s just doing his old buddy Jon a favor cause the film was fine without him. Same goes for Scarlett Johansson. She was in the film to add weight to the main characters downfall and once she did she was gone. The stars who line the top of the billing were merely expensive decorations. The real meat and guts lie with Favreau and his on screen son played by Emjay Anthony, who was delightful. It’s their story and somehow it came to a heartwarming end when I thought it was going to be cheesier than the guys fantastic looking grilled cheese.
The film did have some pacing problems though. There was a scene with Russell Peters, who played a cop, that was just very strange and distracting from the film. It should have been left on the floor like most of the final third of the film. The two hour run length really should have been cut down to about an hour and a half but it’s a small complaint on an overall good film that does nothing besides make you hungry and make you feel good. It’s a refreshing film in the midst of all the superheros and monsters that are going to be filling our screens in the next couple of months. It’s also a great return of a promising and humble filmmaker.
I agree with all of the reviews here. I happened to tagteam the viewing of this movie with Birdman...and thematically, they go really well together, in an incongruent sort of way. See if you agree with me.
Somewhat enjoyable flick but tries to be too many things in one film. Better use of the awesome talent who did short stints throughout the film could have upped the overall quality.
The movie poster where I am (Dubai) shows only Robert (with Iron Man beard) and Scarlett (blonde) next to him. Jon (or the other cast) aren't on it at all, which is very weird.
So if you're reading this and have only seen the poster. Robert only has a cameo appearance an hour in, so don't think he's the star.
Surprisingly good. A bit heavy on the 'male-bonding at the expense of fleshing out the female characters' angle, but hard not to love all the same. Not sure why this is listed as a 2015 film.
"You're never going to be happy cooking for someone else."
If there's one thing I really hate, it's those countless cooking television shows (and variations) we get on our plate (how appropriate) recent years. They even founded television channels like "24 Kitchen" and "Njam" where you can view cooking 24 hours a day. How is it possible. You can't even surf your TV-channels on an average night without bumping into some cooking program where they are preparing a delicious dish again. I'm sick and tired of hearing the terminology like baking,flaming, roasting, steaming, filleting, Bain-Marie, stewing, poaching, ragout, caramelize and the hype-word in recent years "cuisson". I'm not sick of seeing those plates with tasty food, but the oversupply of television programs with people cooking enthusiastically. Suddenly, any known chef de cuisine or unknown cooking amateur has a TV-show where they can demonstrate their skills while brandishing a wooden spoon.
Why the hell would I watch a movie like "Chef"? Especially when I already know in advance that it's mainly about cooking. Perhaps out of curiosity? The only cooking-related films I've ever seen are "Ratatouille" (where there's even a rat in charge) and "La Grande Bouffe" (but this film showed the art of cooking in a very different lurid way). Maybe it's because Jon Favreau played the leading role. Not that I've seen him acting that much. He had a small part in "Friends" years ago, he starred in "The Break-up" and he also did something in "Iron Man" and "The Wolf of Wall Street". He also directed the first successful "Iron Man". But it's his charisma that convinced me. He looks like a cheerful and sociable chubby guy who converses in a fairly amusing and slightly lisping manner. Looking at the size of his waist I guess he's also a fan of culinary excesses and therefore he's perfect for this role as chef. And then there's also the pleasure of admiring Sofia Vergara as Inez, the ex-wife of Carl. What a killer babe. I'll never understand why someone would want to divorce such an adorable,sensual person. I'm sure her butt look more appetizing than that of the pig that Carl cuts into pieces in the beginning of the film.
Cooking in itself is a central theme in this film, but the main focus is on other matters. Firstly, there is the father-son relationship that has grown crooked after a while. Carl focused fully on his prestigious place in the kitchen, so he ignored and neglected his son Percy (Emjay Anthony). The whole film is about the recovery of that relationship and rediscovering each other in a beautiful, serene, sometimes funny and sometimes sad way. Secondly, it shows how in today's society it's seemingly dead simple to ruin someones career simply by writing a destructive review. The consequences of a flame-war could have far-reaching consequences. Especially if the virtual brawl goes viral. And then it shows once again how that virtual world is merged with our daily life The way Percy uses Facebook, Twitter and other online services while driving around America with a food truck, is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but it is an example of the impact of the internet nowadays.
"Chef" is nothing more than just another film in which the main character is successful in the beginning, has to go through a deep valley with the known setbacks and towards the end he rises again unscathed from the battle as a conquering hero. And in "Chef" everything really turns out all right again. This is not an ordinary feel-good movie, but an extraordinary feel-good movie. But despite that, you can really enjoy other things. The juicy lingo of his two confidants Tony and Martin. The enthusiasm Percy shows during the trip. Yet a little warning though : make sure you have eaten firmly before you watch this film, because I guarantee you'll be running into the kitchen now and then to get a snack. At times it looks so delicious and appetizing, I spontaneously started to drool. Those browned butter filled Cuban grill sandwiches were so painfully slow prepped, it was almost a torture. A 3D flat screen TV with scents option, would have been ideal at that particular moment.
A blandly and not too complicated film. In cooking terms one can summarize it as follows: it's not expensive haute cuisine but simple food that they serve us here. A film with a positive attitude (rare nowadays) with beautiful renditions and a surprising supporting cast. Dustin Hoffman as the old restaurant owner who only trusts a classic,safe menu and doesn't feel like following the new trends. Scarlett Johansson as a colleague of Carl who supports him on all fronts. Robert Downey Jr. as the eccentric rich man who helps Carl getting started. Jon Favreau who still has the passion to create eatable art even when things get him down. Emjay Anthony is doing everything to get back his father's attention he's entitled to and at the same time shows his talents. And the whole film is dressed with a sauce of hugely catchy music. Normally I don't pay attention to the soundtrack, but in this film it fits like a glove. The Salsa music creates that summer feeling, the blues kicks in when it starts to be corny and "Sexual Healing" is sung a capella. The soundtrack is a perfect ingredient for this tasty movie. Don't expect profound life lessons in "Chef". But the end result is still a pleasant and definitely tasty-looking ride. Favreau supplies a genuine end product that tastes moreish ...
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Comments 1 - 15 of 25
The_Comatorium
It has been a fucking long time since I was last in a theater; a month I believe. That’s not good when you’re supposed to be a film blogger but what am I going to say? I’ve been busy with my real person job and I honestly just haven’t been pulled out to the theater in the last month by anything. Like always, I’m waiting to see the bigger films like Godzilla/X-Men until the crowds die down because I get anxiety from assholes talking during the movie I paid for. This doesn’t necessary mean I wait for everything as I’m going out tomorrow to see “The Double” and I’m also writing this review right now on Jon Favreau’s latest film, “Chef”.First let me say that I was in the theater with mostly old people who proceeded to talk during the whole movie. The thing is, it was okay! I actually didn’t mind because of how the film was and I’ll get into that in a minute. I’ll also say that old men don’t give a shit who they sit next to. I was sitting three seats from the left in a row and to my right were four open seats. Older couple walks in, sits down, to my left. They didn’t give a shit if they could of had empty seats next to me. They wanted to sit near the isle and I was going to have to sit next to the old man. I didn’t mind one bit. Who the hell cares? First off, I was there first and I’ll be damned if I’m going to move my seat just because somebody else sat next to me for no reason but why would I have to? The guy wasn’t wheezing like the penguin from “Toy Story”. He didn’t smell like death and I felt no fear that he was going to hold me hostage before Mr. Death came by and took him away. I don’t understand the heebie jeebies with sitting next to people in a theater unless they’re Paul Reubens. They’re just people.
I digress.
Chef! I had the choice to either see Chef or the Spiderman sequel and you know what? FUCK SPIDERMAN! I’ll take an original film over that cash cow any day. I believe I was first introduced to Mr. Favreau while watching the film “Swingers”, which while not being directed by him, both starred and was written by the man. Jon has gotten a little bigger in the wallet and waistline since then but he’s a talented writer/directer and this seemed like a return to form for him. It was. I ended up really enjoying the film.
The film centers around Carl, played by Favreau himself, who gets fired from his job running a restaurant for telling a food critic to shove it. He then grabs his partner and ten year old son and embarks on a journey to create the ultimate food truck.
I should not have gone into this hungry. This is what most of the people in the theater were talking about, the food. The food was gorgeous and goddamn mouth watering. It was like watching an episode of “Chopped” instead all the food looked somewhat normal and tasty. There’s a Cuban place near me that does authentic Cuban food while blasting Cubano music from 100 speakers. I’ll be visiting them soon because I have a hankering for a Cuban sandwich now. I wanted to tell everybody to shut up but I would have been kicked out by an angry mob of starving lunatics. It was acceptable and I went along with it. The music in the film is also fantastic. They used a very horn heavy selection of songs mixed in with a little up tempo blues. One of my favorite blues musicians, Gary Clark Jr, actually makes a cameo. Speaking of cameos with a guy who has a Jr. at the end of his name, if you’re going to see this film because of RDJ, don’t. He’s in it for five minutes. He isn’t funny. I suppose he’s just doing his old buddy Jon a favor cause the film was fine without him. Same goes for Scarlett Johansson. She was in the film to add weight to the main characters downfall and once she did she was gone. The stars who line the top of the billing were merely expensive decorations. The real meat and guts lie with Favreau and his on screen son played by Emjay Anthony, who was delightful. It’s their story and somehow it came to a heartwarming end when I thought it was going to be cheesier than the guys fantastic looking grilled cheese.
The film did have some pacing problems though. There was a scene with Russell Peters, who played a cop, that was just very strange and distracting from the film. It should have been left on the floor like most of the final third of the film. The two hour run length really should have been cut down to about an hour and a half but it’s a small complaint on an overall good film that does nothing besides make you hungry and make you feel good. It’s a refreshing film in the midst of all the superheros and monsters that are going to be filling our screens in the next couple of months. It’s also a great return of a promising and humble filmmaker.
I’m going to go make a sandwich now.
4/5
www.thoughtsfromthebooth.com
josue.a.o
This is not a movie, this is Twitter propaganda.Xondar
What a bad movie.evildeadthing
<insert food reference>Agrimorfee
I agree with all of the reviews here. I happened to tagteam the viewing of this movie with Birdman...and thematically, they go really well together, in an incongruent sort of way. See if you agree with me.aussieflickfan
Very very enjoyable movie. Highly recommended.Shingwauk
Somewhat enjoyable flick but tries to be too many things in one film. Better use of the awesome talent who did short stints throughout the film could have upped the overall quality.chunkylefunga
The movie poster where I am (Dubai) shows only Robert (with Iron Man beard) and Scarlett (blonde) next to him. Jon (or the other cast) aren't on it at all, which is very weird.So if you're reading this and have only seen the poster. Robert only has a cameo appearance an hour in, so don't think he's the star.
TalkingElvish
Surprisingly good. A bit heavy on the 'male-bonding at the expense of fleshing out the female characters' angle, but hard not to love all the same. Not sure why this is listed as a 2015 film.DaniloFreiles
Il film ha spacciato morte e sofferenza per alta cucina.Esnaider
...Do you like some food porn?
ikkegoemikke
"You're never going to be happy cooking for someone else."If there's one thing I really hate, it's those countless cooking television shows (and variations) we get on our plate (how appropriate) recent years. They even founded television channels like "24 Kitchen" and "Njam" where you can view cooking 24 hours a day. How is it possible. You can't even surf your TV-channels on an average night without bumping into some cooking program where they are preparing a delicious dish again. I'm sick and tired of hearing the terminology like baking,flaming, roasting, steaming, filleting, Bain-Marie, stewing, poaching, ragout, caramelize and the hype-word in recent years "cuisson". I'm not sick of seeing those plates with tasty food, but the oversupply of television programs with people cooking enthusiastically. Suddenly, any known chef de cuisine or unknown cooking amateur has a TV-show where they can demonstrate their skills while brandishing a wooden spoon.
Why the hell would I watch a movie like "Chef"? Especially when I already know in advance that it's mainly about cooking. Perhaps out of curiosity? The only cooking-related films I've ever seen are "Ratatouille" (where there's even a rat in charge) and "La Grande Bouffe" (but this film showed the art of cooking in a very different lurid way). Maybe it's because Jon Favreau played the leading role. Not that I've seen him acting that much. He had a small part in "Friends" years ago, he starred in "The Break-up" and he also did something in "Iron Man" and "The Wolf of Wall Street". He also directed the first successful "Iron Man". But it's his charisma that convinced me. He looks like a cheerful and sociable chubby guy who converses in a fairly amusing and slightly lisping manner. Looking at the size of his waist I guess he's also a fan of culinary excesses and therefore he's perfect for this role as chef. And then there's also the pleasure of admiring Sofia Vergara as Inez, the ex-wife of Carl. What a killer babe. I'll never understand why someone would want to divorce such an adorable,sensual person. I'm sure her butt look more appetizing than that of the pig that Carl cuts into pieces in the beginning of the film.
Cooking in itself is a central theme in this film, but the main focus is on other matters. Firstly, there is the father-son relationship that has grown crooked after a while. Carl focused fully on his prestigious place in the kitchen, so he ignored and neglected his son Percy (Emjay Anthony). The whole film is about the recovery of that relationship and rediscovering each other in a beautiful, serene, sometimes funny and sometimes sad way. Secondly, it shows how in today's society it's seemingly dead simple to ruin someones career simply by writing a destructive review. The consequences of a flame-war could have far-reaching consequences. Especially if the virtual brawl goes viral. And then it shows once again how that virtual world is merged with our daily life The way Percy uses Facebook, Twitter and other online services while driving around America with a food truck, is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but it is an example of the impact of the internet nowadays.
"Chef" is nothing more than just another film in which the main character is successful in the beginning, has to go through a deep valley with the known setbacks and towards the end he rises again unscathed from the battle as a conquering hero. And in "Chef" everything really turns out all right again. This is not an ordinary feel-good movie, but an extraordinary feel-good movie. But despite that, you can really enjoy other things. The juicy lingo of his two confidants Tony and Martin. The enthusiasm Percy shows during the trip. Yet a little warning though : make sure you have eaten firmly before you watch this film, because I guarantee you'll be running into the kitchen now and then to get a snack. At times it looks so delicious and appetizing, I spontaneously started to drool. Those browned butter filled Cuban grill sandwiches were so painfully slow prepped, it was almost a torture. A 3D flat screen TV with scents option, would have been ideal at that particular moment.
A blandly and not too complicated film. In cooking terms one can summarize it as follows: it's not expensive haute cuisine but simple food that they serve us here. A film with a positive attitude (rare nowadays) with beautiful renditions and a surprising supporting cast. Dustin Hoffman as the old restaurant owner who only trusts a classic,safe menu and doesn't feel like following the new trends. Scarlett Johansson as a colleague of Carl who supports him on all fronts. Robert Downey Jr. as the eccentric rich man who helps Carl getting started. Jon Favreau who still has the passion to create eatable art even when things get him down. Emjay Anthony is doing everything to get back his father's attention he's entitled to and at the same time shows his talents. And the whole film is dressed with a sauce of hugely catchy music. Normally I don't pay attention to the soundtrack, but in this film it fits like a glove. The Salsa music creates that summer feeling, the blues kicks in when it starts to be corny and "Sexual Healing" is sung a capella. The soundtrack is a perfect ingredient for this tasty movie. Don't expect profound life lessons in "Chef". But the end result is still a pleasant and definitely tasty-looking ride. Favreau supplies a genuine end product that tastes moreish ...
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Earring72
Charming feel good movie makes you hungry!airi86ja
just loved it!rociwi
Cute! was expecting it to be really boring, but it's notShowing items 1 – 15 of 25