[Review] Chef
[This review was originally published as part of our SXSW 2014 coverage. It is being re-posted to coincide with Chef's theatrical release.]
Chef
Director: Jon Favreau
Rating: N/A
Release Date: March 7, 2014 (SXSW)
Over the past few years, director Jon Favreau has been known for his big budget sci-fi films (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Cowboys & Aliens). However, his career began with earnest in low budget indie darling films, most notably Swingers alongside Vince Vaughn. Since then, Favreau's trajectory has skyrocketed, culminating with the aforementioned Iron Man films, which themselves helped establish Marvel's dominance in the film industry. However, wanting to create something personal on a smaller scale, Favreau brought Chef to this year's SXSW in which he directed, wrote, and starred. Would all of the years spent working on big budget Hollywood films affect his ability to create films that were driven more by personal stories than grandiose concepts? Read on and find out.
Early in his career, chef Carl Casper (Favreau) was named one of the most exciting chefs in the restaurant business. After establishing a residency at a Los Angeles restaurant for many years, Casper's creativity began to suffer. In an attempt to reinvigorate both himself and his cooking staff, he set out to create a special menu to accommodate LA's most notorious food critic. However, the owner of the restaurant (Dustin Hoffman) prevents Casper from deviating from the established menu, resulting in a domino effect of events that lead to a scathing review of Casper's talents and his own ouster from the restaurant. With his future prospects out the window, Casper sets out to Miami to start a food truck business with his best friend and former line cook (John Leguizamo). Also along for the ride is Casper's son, Percy (Emjay Anthony) who had been inadvertently ignored due to Casper's busy schedule and the divorce between he and his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara).
Chef is split by its two halves. The first half of the film focuses on Casper and his professional fall and rise. The conflict is driven not just by the obvious man vs. man conflict, but also man vs. self as Casper has to re-adapt his life and find what's been missing inn his personal and professional careers. The second half focuses more on Percy and his reconnection with Casper. The transition from the light comedy/drama of the first half to the road trip/buddy film in the second half was a bit rough, but welcome at the same time.
In a way, Chef is simple, and that's okay. Much like Favreau's Casper went on a journey to find the spark he once lost, Chef could be Favreau's proverbial food truck. It won't be for everybody, and some might expect more from the writer/director/actor, especially with the film being his first feature since the Hollywood film predecessors. The drama's light and nothing too expository, but the true heart of the film is in the comedy. Favreau's writing is pointed and direct in its nature, relative to both the restaurant industry and the Latino flavor of the film. Complementing the Latin tone of the film is the spectacular soundtrack that features covers of notable songs from Merengue to Salsa to Bachata and everything in between.
Chef is a light, good-hearted film that definitely benefited from being SXSW's opening film. It's charming, has jokes that are actually funny, and is supported by a great cast. If you're looking for a laid-back night out, Chef will be the perfect complement to a nice, candlelit dinner.
[Trailer] Chef
[youtube id="wgFws3AoIUY"]
Chef received a huge vote of confidence earlier this year when it screened as the SXSW 2014 Opening Night film. As I mentioned in my SXSW review of the film, the Jon Favreau written/directed/starring film is a light-hearted family comedy that'll attract a variety of audiences. With a supporting cast that includes John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, and smaller roles by Robert Downey, Jr. (in a hilariously memorable role), Scarlett Johansson, and Dustin Hoffman, Chef has the talent backing it up. With a tight focus on the father-son dynamic and amazing food (you'll be craving Cuban sandwiches after you see it), Chef will have a solid run at the box office.
The film is about Carl Casper, head chef at a Los Angeles restaurant. When he finds himself at odds with both the restaurant owner and a food blogger over the quality and creativity of his food creations, he decides to start from scratch by running a food truck from Miami back home to LA. Along the way, he rediscovers his love for food and forms a bond with his son that had been missing for some time.
Chef will be in theaters on May 9th.
[SXSW] Film Festival 2014
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
SXSW may be mostly known for its Music portion of the festival, but the Film half of the events have been building in notoriety over the past few years. While SXSW Film and SXSW Music are two entirely different beasts, they both have their own quirks and charm that keep the SXSW spirit alive throughout the entirety of the festival's duration. Whereas SXSW Music is full of craziness, crowds, and chaos, SXSW Film is more controlled and tempered in terms of its craziness, crowds, and chaos, albeit at a different level. Both Virgil and I (Ge0ff) were out and about last week, taking in as much as Austin and SXSW as we could before the Music crowds came in. Check out some of the photos below that captured some of our downtime in between screenings, some photos from the various film Q&As we attended, and even behind-the-scenes shots of some of the interviews we have lined up for next week. Enjoy!
