Never have I ever left a
theater craving a Cuban sandwich. This savory reaction has been stirred
by Jon Favreau's latest film, Chef.
A post-film Cuban sandwich and
pork sliders become a necessary evil, as a man gets back in touch with his liberating
culinary creativity in such a sweet and satisfying fashion.
Upon
learning about the magical world of social media, LA chef Carl Casper (Jon
Favreau) tweets a prestigious food critic Ramsey Michel (Oliver Pratt) that
gave him a bad review. He invites the critic to come back for a new menu,
but is told he can’t cook it by the restaurant’s owner (Dustin Hoffman). Casper walks out of the restaurant before
Michel’s arrival, and returns only to lose his cool. The fame that ensues is negative, even though
there is no such thing as bad press. After losing his job, Casper goes on some
soul searching in hopes to find happiness again, and cook for himself.
On a trip to “nanny” his son
Percy (EmJay Anthony) with his ex-wife Inez (Sofia Vergara), he gets a food
truck in hopes to start over and reconnect with those important to him. The selling
item: mouth-watering Cuban sandwiches. Casper
reconnects with his creative side, as he is inspired to pursue the “crazy food
truck” idea that his ex-wife had been pushing for a while. It turns out to be a turning point in his
career—and his life—as he travels from Miami to LA with it, gaining popularity
for the delicious sandwiches.
This
wonderful ensemble cast includes a hilarious five minute cameo from Robert
Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson as a restaurant manager, Dustin Hoffman as a
restaurant owner, and Bobby Cannavale as a chef. To top it all off, John
Leguizamo is the sous chef for Favreau, providing good vibes and comic relief
throughout the film.
To call this film “a feast for
the eyes” would be hopelessly obvious, but it really is. The scenes filmed where Favreau’s character
is prepping and cooking his food—whether it was a simple grilled-cheese or an
elaborate three-course meal—was colorful and fun. If Food Network was directed by Favreau, I
think it is fair to say we would all watch it more often than we already
do. (I’m kind of waiting for him to get
his own show, but one thing at a time).
Jon
Favreau not only wrote, directed, and starred in the film, but he did his own
cooking as well. He trained with food-truck god Roy Choi, who helped him
enroll in French culinary courses to learn the ins and outs of cooking. "I
brought him into the kitchen, and he just kind of fit in," Choi recalls.
"I threw him a couple tests, like a case of chives, or a case of onions,
or peel two cases of avocados. Just to see where his mind and his situation and
his abilities were and how interested he was in these things. He just attacked
them. He really became a part of it." Favreau looks natural as his
character, as his cooking skills and culinary products are enough to make the
audiences’ mouth water.
Chef is a feel-good
delicacy. Its wit keeps its audiences
laughing and charm makes you smile. The
only letdown from seeing Chef was
that there were no food trucks selling Cuban sandwiches in the Regal parking
lot upon my departure from the theater. The
delicious nature of the film (and the food) is inspiring, and a must-see this
summer.
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