John Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) is a freaking genius. His new movie, “Chef” is absolutely one of my favorites of the year so far. It will give you all the feels.
In the movie, which he both wrote and directed, Favreau also pulls triple duty as the titular role Chef Carl Casper. Casper, who was known in the past for his boldness and creativity, had settled into a boring life of cooking other people’s menus.
“Chef” made me miss my native Cuban culture, music, food, ambiance… and I’m a white guy from Iowa.
One thing I kept noticing: Throughout the movie, I kept feeling like something bad was about to happen. You know, a predictable, unnecessary plot complication like his kid cutting himself and having to go to the hospital, causing his mother to panic and fly out to get him, further screwing up things between father, son, and mother. But, thankfully, it never happened. The kid burned himself on the grill, but they never made an issue out of it. In fact, he pushed through it and it seemed to be treated as a small right of passage.
It’s a great story about a father and son getting to know each other while the father gets to know himself. There’s also a strong teacher/student element to the story.
If you decide to go see this movie, do yourself a favor:
- Eat before the movie.
- Eat after the movie.
- Eat during the movie. (Popcorn alone will not cut it.)
Rating: ★★★★★