Chef cooks up a delicious treat in this light, heartwarming summer flick. I laughed heartily. I snorted loudly (thank goodness I was with a friend neither offended nor embarrassed by my loud expression of funny). And I cried. Yes, the tears flowed unexpectedly at one point, but that just shows the warmth of this film. (I knew this was a movie about a foodie, but I was pleasantly surprised to watch the film actually serve itself up also as what I see as one of the best Father’s Day movies I’ve seen in quite some time. (Ergo, yes, when that really hit me, in this difficult month of June, the tears streamed down my face. But this was good.))
So yes, I enjoyed Chef. That said, though, as much light entertainment as the movie provides, a good deal is lacking in its substance. The absence of a needed back-story permeates throughout. I was certain we would eventually learn more, but we never learned enough. The way the film glosses over the logical issues that would have arisen with such a road trip makes it feel hollow. And I kept waiting for the climax or crisis, seeing potential here and there, but I never felt like one really arrived as it should have. Things were too “put together.” Also, as much as I enjoyed this movie as I watched it, I felt like the comfy chair I’d settled into throughout the film was abruptly yanked from beneath me at the end. I was terribly disappointed in the ending. It reeked of a writer who got lazy toward the end of the script and simply finished it up while running late to a meeting with a producer. What a shame that is for what was otherwise such a pleasant viewing. (Granted, I tend to want more from a film than formula, so I can see how others will revel in the ending as strongly as I reject it.)
And the cast? Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, and Bobby Cannavale were fantastic, each imparting their own whimsy to their characters. And the delightful young Emjay Anthony is a dear and a darling, sweetly bringing his role to life in a way that just makes you want to swoop him into your arms to hug and tell him things will be okay. Further, Dustin Hoffman plays the role of Ass particularly well, which was a nice difference from his lighter side. Alas, Sofia Vergara, while as beautiful as always, just felt like window dressing. This is only the second role I’ve seen her in, but she seems to be too much the same in both, which is unfortunate. But Scarlett Johansson? She brings to life the seductive nature of food with skill and craft; she does this subtly, innocently, but full of sensuality at the same time. (I dated a man once who cooked for me that way. Sigh—-one of the ones who got away.)
If you’re free tonight here in Jax, go see Chef at San Marco Theater. (They’ve two Aardwolf brews on tap too!) It’s two hours enjoyably spent with a film that is comfortable and uplifting, even if lacking in its depth.