Thoughts on the Movie 'Chef'

We saw the movie 'Chef' yesterday afternoon.  It had been recommended by several friends, which probably created unwarranted expectations.

Written, directed and starring Jon Favreau, 'Chef' is the story of a well-regarded chef who rebels at the strictures of a job in a fine-dining restaurant in Los Angeles -- cooking the same menu for the same clients for the past 10 years.  Favreau is a marvelous, earthy presence throughout the movie.  He has assembled a great supporting cast including Dustin Hoffman (the up-tight restaurant owner); Scarlett Johanssohn (the sensual sommelier and casual hook-up); Oliver Platt (a jaded food critic and food blogger); John Leguziamo (his line chef and devoted buddy); Bobby Cannavale (the sous chef); Sofia Vergara (his supportive former wife); Robert Downey Jr. (her sleazy, self-involved other former husband); and especially Emjay Anthony (his lonely, tech-savvy 10-year-old son).

Movie Poster for 'Chef' with (from left) Emjay Anthony, John Leguizamo, John Favreau and Sofia Vergara.

The story -- a mix of buddy, road trip, father-son bonding, rom-com, and getting back your 'mojo' -- is full of loose ends, unlikely coincidences, and unprepared lurches forward.  The consequences of forays into social media-- both intended and inadvertant -- move the plot forward in both malicious and whimsical ways.  Unfortunately, their use is not made available to the audience in a consistent format, which sometimes leaves us hanging in a maddening 'what-just-happened?' way.

As with many smaller, less-polished movies, your reaction will probably be partially based on the life experiences you bring into the theater that you'll use to fill in the holes in the plot.   Do you cook? do you love food? do you go to the farmers market? do you improvise with new ingredients?  Do you tweet? are you a social media wiz?  Do you have kids? Have you been married? divorced? worked in a stifling work environment?  Answers to these, and more, will trigger the ways that you react to this movie.  It's surely worth giving it a try.  Just bring moderate expectations and be willing to participate in the experience.