Movie Review – Chef – cooks up great entertainment!

chefMovie buffs know Jon Favreau.
His answering machine antics in Swingers (1996) are one of THE most memorable movie scenes of all time. He also wrote that movie.
Since then, he’s become a recognizable face to most casual moviegoers appearing in dozens of primarily non-staring roles.
Arguably his most tremendous success has come from behind the camera. He directed Will Ferrel in Elf (2003) to become a new holiday classic.  More recently, he led Iron Man 1 and 2 to become worldwide blockbusters.
Chef is about a different kind of superhero. Chef is the story of a dad finding himself while simultaneously reconnecting with his 10-year-old son. It is loosely based on the journey made by chef Roy Choi who went from a high-class restaurant to a food truck.
Chef is chock full of ridiculous contrivances and “cat’s in the cradle” stereotyping that could take you out of the movie if you paid attention to them, but you won’t.
This is because the movie is incredibly charming on so many levels. The actors, the locations, the music, and the food. Chef Choi was “involved in every food scene,” said Favreau.
I have never seen a more beautiful grilled cheese sandwich prepared and cooked than the one in this film.
So while we’re at it – let’s develop that analogy a bit.
Chef, the movie is like a grilled cheese sandwich. Familiar, not spectacular, but when done well and served at the right time, the result can be incredibly satisfying.
The chef has great pacing, rich performances, great cameos, and an excellent closing homage to Cinema Paradiso that delivers a similar emotional wallop.
Favreau has done okay here. This is a mature film made by a mature artist. His writing and directing are flawless.
Chef successfully achieves everything it aims for. It’s funny, sweet, and poignant.  You almost totally forget how incredible it is for Favreau to be bedding BOTH Scarlett Johansson and  Sofia Vergara. That’s saying something.
Given an R rating mostly for language and content. I can’t imagine this film offending anyone—a great start to the summer movie season for those with adult sensibilities.

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