This baby's a winner! I liked
everything! The story clicked every minute-- from the first jazzy scenes where
you see the chef and his assistants getting ready for another upscale night in
the life of a Los Angeles fine restaurant. But soon we glimpse the chef at odds
with the owner. The chef needs to release his real creativity in the menu he
presents to his patrons- while the owner demands that he stick with the
surefire winners that have made them both successful.
This conflict comes to a head
when the word gets out that the biggest food critic in L.A. is due to make an
appearance. The chef feels he must show this guy his rich- new creations.
"Oh, no you don't!" shouts the owner... "Do what I say or get
yourself another job."... The chef does what he says. Then writes the
review by the critic: L.A. is treated to a mean lambasting of the food he's
eaten.
That's the straw that breaks
the chef's back. It's now or never: The chef fiercely tweets out to the critic
to visit again, and dine on the kind of food he'll get nowhere else. (But the
words he uses are crude.) Still, Twitter is social media and many pick up this
text and swarm in, too. Here, again, the owner stands in the way of the chef's
new menu. But this time the chef doesn't budge and gets himself fired. Later--
while the critic sourly ingests a meal he's despising-- the chef appears and
says how his like-with no risk himself-- kills the spirit of chefs' likes who
work their tails off.
Of course his rant goes viral
on YouTube, and Chef becomes the laughing stock of the folks in L.A. He is
washed-up, so far as being a chef in that area. His co-workers encourage him:
"You haven't been happy working for this owner... Set out and cook food
you would love... " (Easier said than done) He has no idea how that abstract
wish can lead to loved livelihood. (Adventure starts when nothing's clear.)
That makes this film a pure joy to experience.
So far, we've talked about the
chef- Carl Casper-(played by an intensive Jon Favreau), and the owner, Dustin
Hoffman. From here on we get to know Casper's really sweet ten year old son,
Percy (played by Emjay Anthony), who I really loved seeing. This kid's been a
tad neglected by his workaholic father, but you can see quite vividly how he
eats up the attention he gets when he can get any. We also start to hear more
from Inez, Carl's divorced wife (Sofia Vergara), Martin, Carl's line cook and
buddy, (John Leguizamo), and reflect on the poise of Molly (Scarlett Johansson)
who has been Carl's confidante while he was working at the restaurant.
"I'm f*cking lost", Carl tells her right after his firing has
happened. "That's a good place to start," she says.
Well, it turns out that Carl's
ex-wife's ex-husband can set Carl up with an old food truck; and while Carl
never thought much of 'chefing' like that, he now begins setting it up. And who
pitches in but his son and his line cook? The music in "CHEF" is loud
and energetic and full of enthusiasm. And the success these three guys share as
they drive from where they started (in Miami) back to L.A. is great to watch.
Is there anything more rewarding to this chef than a crowd of folks gathering
in long lines shelling out cash and gobbling up his great Cubanos? This is a
film where the Director of Photography (Kramer Morgenthau) grasps the real
essence of how a chef excels and participates in the orgy of preparation.
There's a touching scene where
Carl takes his son aside--and sire to son--admits that he has failed in his
marriage and been a poor father, but in 'chefing' he knows he's great. And he
tells Percy that surely he could teach him that, so he, too, could be a chef.
Does he think he'd like that? With his mop of hair and little boy's face, Percy
nods, "Yes." The chemistry between father and son is quite
astonishing. I mean, it's real! And the chemistry with all the other actors
struck me as near perfect as well.
One tip I learned but have not
bothered to check out- (and this is for the male readers): If you're driving a
long distance and you feel a cramped sweltering in the-you-know-where-area, you
might follow the practice of Martin, and then Carl and even Percy, and pour a
bit of corn starch right down there!
... Jon Favreau not only
portrays the key actor in "CHEF", but he also wrote and well directed
this splendid film. I won't reveal the end, but it joins everything in a way
that won't disappoint. I'm happy to report: the audience was so moved that they
clapped as "CHEF" ended. I'll do my clapping now, with a top grade of
EIGHT. For a fun film, "CHEF's" one to see.
What My Grade
Grants:
8.) "About as
good as it could get."
7.) "Lacking
that bit of excellence."
6.) "Somehow
it just didn't work well."
5.) "I have
to feel bad about it."
4.) "All that
work and nothing to show."
Creator of "The Wizard's
Outrageous Scheme For Stopping Smoking", Humbler Acts reports one film
every week as relaxation from his speaking and writing on stopping smoking
through dream use and Seven Forces. He's American, English-educated, residing
in St. Louis, MO (USA). He can be reached: humbleracts@aol.com or
telephone: 314-574-7681.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Humbler_Acts
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8543714
