I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but my biggest blind spot as a cinephile is that I don’t pay a lot of attention to the world of independent film. It is a very rare event that I know about an indie film before a trailer has even been released. Such was the case with Chef, the new culinary comedy from actor/director/writer Jon Favreau. While it’s not breaking new ground in the world of film comedy, Chef is a very enjoyable little movie, and is a great choice for moviegoers looking for something different this summer.
One of Favreau’s strengths as a director has always been getting good performances from his actors, and that’s definitely the case here. Most of his recent work as an actor has been in supporting roles, and it’s nice to see him being the lead here. Carl Casper is a great character for him; a guy we enjoy watching who is still realistically flawed. Vergara is great as Carl’s ex-wife Inez, and it’s nice to see her play a more subtle, low-key character for a change. I was impressed by young Emjay Anthony, who plays Carl and Inez’s son Percy. He’s quite a good actor for being only ten years old, and plays off well against his much more experienced co-stars. Leguizamo is his usual funny self as Carl’s friend and line cook Martin, and gets some great moments. Scarlett Johnansson is great as Molly, Carl’s friend and the hostess at the restaurant where he works. I initially figured Molly would be Carl’s love interest, but the two remain just friends, which was a pleasant surprise. Bobby Cannavale has some very funny moments as Tony, Carl’s friend and sous chef. Platt and Hoffman are very good in the more antagonistic roles of, respectively, Ramsey Michel the online food critic and Riva the restaurant owner. And while Robert Downey, Jr. is only in one scene as Marvin, Inez’s other ex-husband, it’s easily one of the best scenes in the movie.
As someone who enjoys cooking quite a bit, the subject matter of the film immediately appeals to me. I’m sure I wouldn’t last a day on the staff of the restaurant where Carl starts out working, but I can certainly appreciate the kind of craft and skill it takes to produce food like that. This is definitely not a movie to see on an empty stomach, because the glamor shots of the various dishes will get your mouth watering. I really enjoyed how the movie featured the cuisine of the different areas the El Jefe truck travels to. These include Cuban sandwiches, medianoches, and arroz con pollo in Miami, beignets and po’ boys in New Orleans, and barbecue in Austin. I also loved that the film has Carl talk about how one of the best things about cooking is being able to create something other people will enjoy. In my experience, that’s definitely the case.
Of course, a comedy will live or die by its humor, and Chef is very funny for the most part. One of the main sources of the humor is how these people in the food industry take their jobs seriously to a degree that could seem absurd to outsiders. A good example of this is how part of Carl’s confrontation with Ramsey is Carl going on an angry tirade about how to properly make chocolate lava cake. Another funny running gag is Carl’s inexperience with some pieces of modern technology that his son and his friends are very adept with (this manifests in moments of him being surprised by what Percy can do with a smartphone or tablet). But there are unfortunately some moments where a gag is stretched out until it starts to lose some of its humor.
Jon Favreau and Emjay Anthony in “Chef.”
In addition to being funny, Chef also tells a pretty good story, one with a lot of heart even if a successful guy losing what he has and having to work his way back up is a plot we’ve seen plenty of times before. But, when it’s told this well by people this talented, it’s still a very enjoyable story to watch unfold. At 115 minutes, the movie does run a bit long. There are a couple moments which are fine in and of themselves, but they probably could have been trimmed or shortened. But at the same time, the ending seems a bit rushed. Without spoiling anything, it wrapped things up in a mostly satisfactory way, but left some questions unanswered that I would have liked to have seen addressed.
Jon Favreau is a great filmmaker, and after he’s spent most of the last decade doing high-profile projects like Iron Man (2008) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011), it’s nice to see him back in indie territory. We’ve got a talented cast giving great performances, funny humor, and a solid story with lots of heart. If you’re looking for an alternative to the summer blockbusters, give Chef a try and treat yourself to a nice meal afterward.
Timothy Monforton