Chef Review

Written 2014. Directed: Jon Favreau 2014

John Favreau , writer, director and star of Chef has spent a lot of time recently behind some of Hollywood's biggest Blockbusters. He's the guy behind the Iron Man franchise and the highly-acclaimed Avengers movie. And he puts all that experience to wonderful use in this small indie film about a chef in existential crisis.

Favreau stars as Carl Casper, a once highly celebrated chef whose fallen asleep at the wheel of his life. A huge critic coming to review his restaurant ignites in him the chance to shake things up and get back to the on-fire innovator he was celebrated as a decade ago. But, Casper cowers under the restaurant owner's insistence to stay safe and only serve all his known winners. The critic sees right through Casper's cowardice and skewers him badly in the review. When a social media war between critic and chef inspires a rematch, the owner demands he stick to what's already been done or get out. Casper exits with the passion that's been stuck inside for years with a terrific blow-out with the critic that makes any creative person want to stand up and cheer. Out of the wreckage, he's given a food truck and the chance to reignite his passion, find an authentic, happy life and get to know his son.

Chef delivers like one of those perfect meals that brings back complete satisfaction just thinking about it. The film is fresh, fun, rich and light all at the same time. All it's complex elements blend seamlessly - the soft with the bold, the subtle with the outlandish, the funny with the sad, the mundane with the miraculous, the relentless everyday with the great beauty we can make of it. It's never showy but deeply satisfying. The bountiful soundtrack gives the film a lush sizzle, keeping the movie's densuous spirit bright and lively throughout. It's a simple, straight-forward feel-good idea that never slip into feeling forced and artificial.

It's refreshing casting as well - some really big names (Scarlett Johansson , John Leguizamo, Sofía Vergara) toned way down to add to the fun flavors of the film without anyone over-powering it- Robert Downey, Jr. is a major highlight as his ex-wife's insane ex-husband.

The best thing about this film is the food. It's filmed so beautifully that it actually manages to feel really satisfying to watch it being prepared. It's food porn at it's finest. The love poured right off the screen and left me feeling like I had enjoyed every dish. With the current relentless aggression of food competition reality shows, it's easy to start to feel like food is more a full contact sport rather than an expression of someone's heart and soul - that it's an art that can make people feel nourished, cared for, happy, satisfied. Chef is a celebratory homage to the true art of cooking that left me wanting to see it all over again.