Chef

UK Release Date: 25 June 2014

Certification: 15

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Emjay Anthony, Bobby Cannavale, Jon Favreau, Dustin Hoffman, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara

Rating: 73%

"I may not do everything great in my life, but I'm good at this."

Review:

The ensemble cast assembled for Chef is excellent. Jon Favreau shines as struggling chef, Carl Casper, trying to restore his passion. His relationship with his estranged son, Percy - played by Emjay Anthony - is the beating heart of the movie. The bond the two form is both engrossing and sweet. John Leguizamo is entertaining as Carl's sous-chef, Martin. He adds a distinctive, spice to the movie that's fresh to see on screen. 

However, I didn't enjoy Scarlett Johansson or Robert Downey Jr. in this movie. I'm not slating their performances in fact RDJ's quick cameo was my favourite aspect of the movie but that's all it was. If they were given a bigger role, I totally would have been on board but both actors showing up felt unneeded. At one point my brother jokingly asked if we were watching an MCU and it genuinely feels that way at points. It's an easy cash grab from Jon Favreau essentially telling the audience that he's worked for Marvel. Also, Dustin Hoffman is a huge waste. He doesn't do anything significant throughout the run time and is such a boring character. 

Jon Favreau's direction was also just as good as his performance. Chef is stylistic, slick and profound. He seemed to care for what he was making, both the movie and the food on screen. And to briefly talk about the food, it's utterly beautiful. I'd just had my dinner before watching the movie but I was so hungry by the end of the feature. I definitely wouldn't recommend watching on an empty stomach. 

Chef is a good movie on its own but it is only improved when discovering its true meanings and intentions. Off the back of being rushed by Marvel Studios, to churn out Iron Man 2 in two years rather than the three he wanted, Jon Favreau felt frustrated and chose not to return to direct Iron Man 3. Chef was Jon Favreau's attempt to express and rediscover his love for filmmaking. This background information only heightens the viewing experience. Watching Favreau's character go through the exact same struggles on screen as Jon Favreau went through behind the lens makes the story a lot more intimate.

I hated the ending of Chef. It simply felt tacked on. There was no need for the two to get married again, it's lazy, stereotypical and really dampened on a fun film. 

In conclusion, Chef isn't a remarkable movie but it put a smile on my face with some top notch performances and some sumptuous food, I can't ask for much more from a feel good film.