In 2014 Jon Favreau released one of my favorite films, Chef, which he wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in. I think it’s safe to say this is Favreau’s movie.
Coming on the heels of his hits like Elf, Iron Man, and Iron Man 2, Chef might be described as a small movie – though it has a spectacular cast - one without thousands of extras, or spectacular effects, or a single superhero. Don’t get me wrong, I love all those things, and will happily spend a long afternoon watching the exploits of Tony Stark and his ilk. Those movies, and several others, had already alerted me to the talent and creative sensibilities of Favreau, and made me willing to watch most anything he did.
Chef does not disappoint. It’s hard to believe the budget was only $11 million (as compared to the hundreds of millions spent on Favreau’s superhero films), especially considering the talent such as Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr., and Scarlett Johansson that were part of the film.
More important (for our purposes), it delves into the creative life of the main character. Favreau plays Carl Casper, a celebrity chef with an attitude problem. Or maybe he’s just burned-out at chasing the accolades and commercial success that come with his position. Whatever the reason, in the opening scenes he battles with the owner of the restaurant where he rules in the kitchen but is overruled in other areas by the owner, gets into hot water with a food critic, and generally drops his entire life in the dumpster. The rest of the film is his battle to get himself back out of said dumpster and re-discover his mojo.
Along the way we meet his family and friends, and we watch as this train wreck of a man finds his way back to the life he truly wants.
It’s a simple plot, and I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it. Let me just say that this movie dives into the ways we separate ourselves from our creative lives, and how we can find our way back. There are many stories within the movie: a love story, a father-son story, a story about the bonds of friendship, and a story about loving what you do every day. And honestly, if you don’t tear up (at least a little) by the end of this film…
Chef has a happy ending, and is a feel-good movie. It’s a warm hug of a film, designed to give you all the feels. In some ways it reminds me of The Great British Bake-Off, where the contestants, hosts, and judges are absolutely lovely to each other, and creating something both tasty and beautiful is the goal.
I have watched Chef several times, and I will probably go watch it again. Soon.
But I think I need to have a Cubano at the ready – it will make you crave that perfect sandwich!