Lewis and I love going to see quirky indie films. Sometimes, its the Independent film that gets a great message out! This film, "Chef", does that. Its writer and director, Jon Favreau, captured the idea of "anti-establishment", "striking out on your own", "picking yourself up, dusting yourself and starting over again", and tied it in to the "food truck craze" thats enamored our nation in the last several years. And that was a pretty clever plot! He even threw in a dash (to use a cooking phrase) of "father/son bonding" theme to "spice" it up. Favreau reminded me of the fatherly characters played by actor John Candy in "The Great Outdoors" and "Uncle Buck". Listening to him, his dialogue speaking style reminds me of how Vince Vaughn stutters/pauses with the beginning fragments of sentences: a choppy staccato that eventually gets his assured point of view across. No surprise to me when I found out that they were childhood buddies. This movie also has amazing cameos by long-established/acclaimed actors. That could be attributed to Favreau's stupendous creation of the action-packed "Iron Man" film series.
So, the plot goes like this… Typical of current movies featuring mid-life parents in the doldrums, the chef's life has fragmented and stalled. He's not following his "inner voice" or his vocation. Ergo, he has divorced his wife (Sofia Vergara)--already a divorcé, he's not paying enough attention to his adoring only child (son), and he's letting his small-minded/tight-fisted restaurant partner (Dustin Hoffman) "box in" his expression of talent. Everyone knows that a chef is supposed to "create" art in the kitchen. Yet, Hoffman's character dangles the "carrot" over his chef's head: he's paid for the fancy kitchen and all its toys, so the chef must work strictly on the menu that Hoffman has issued. The breaking point quickly arrives when famous Food Blog Critic (Oliver Platt) plans to review their restaurant. Platt had adored the chef, when the chef was first beginning his career in Florida. At that time, the chef was "cutting edge", but now he's become outer-city/suburban "boring" and predictable--with a menu that lacks life or creativity. The funny thing is that the chef intended to create special menu--just for the critic! He even cut short his visit with his son, in order to buy the speciality fresh ingredients at the Farmers Market.
(In fact, this movie thankfully also highlights the supreme importance of Farmer's Markets, fresh ingredients and small-batch food sourcing). Sadly (or maybe not), Hoffman refuses to allow any new menu items to be presented that night--fearing that a full house of reservations may be scared off. (Sounds like my penny-pinching "limitation mentality" ex-landlord).
As you can imagine, the food critic degrades the chef for lack of creativity--comparing him to a boring out-dated old aunt. (Perhaps, the criticism was intended to jump-start the chef?) Upset and frustrated, the chef asks his pre-teen son how to create a Twitter account, so he can rebuff the review.
He unintentionally publicly insults the food critic… which escalates into having the critic return to the restaurant. But Hoffman won't let his chef alter the menu: the chef quits. He vents his anger at the food critic in the restaurant and then finds himself jobless and estranged from his coworker friends/team.
All along, "Life" has been hinting and suggesting different courses of action for the chef, which he hasn't listened to because his mind was too narrowly-focused. (We'd all LOVE to get such clear hints). Luckily, his ex-wife--who lives in a McMansion, employing 5 staff members--has a plan. (Those scenes seem befitting Vegara, since she IS the highest paid female actress nowadays, drawing $30 million a year).
She flies the family back to Florida, to visit her Mambo-playing father, and to connect her 2 ex-husbands into a business deal.
(That's how Robert Downey Jr. comes into the movie--still playing his rich carefree playboy personality from "Iron Man"). Everyone thinks that the chef should "return to his roots" and cook up Cubano sandwiches, among other spicy/perfect cooked meaty goodies. Downey Jr. give the chef an abused "Grumman" food van (the Grumman plant wasn't too far from where I grew up on Long Island). The chef has some bonding with his son, as they revamp/clean the truck. Suddenly, his perky sassy sous chef (John Leguizamo) arrives--having run away from the old restaurant to "follow his buddy/master" in the new venture. The male trio decide to drive the revitalized food truck across the country, back to Los Angeles!
As such, a great "road trip" ensues! With lively soundtrack music (that accentuates the spicy ingredients), the chefs "find themselves" again, and find love in life. The father and son bond again, as they learn about each other. The son plays an amazing role--rolling up his sleeves to get dirty and help prepare the food. The unlikely trio each bring unique qualities that make the traveling food truck a major success… which acts like a suspense building for folks in LA. Chef's son--with his Twitter talents--cleverly promotes the truck and its development. AND its current locale and intended destinations. Thus--just like we see in Manhattan--there are lines of anticipating patrons awaiting the truck! (The chef's earlier Tweeted fight with the famous food truck had garnered the chef with a HUGE number of followers).
Pausing along their travels, the movie shows why its significantly important to buy ingredients locally and from organic & local-sourced purveyors. It showcases the traditional recipes of New Orleans, while mentioning how they were conceived in the "melting pot" of the city's founding culture. It shows the hard dedicated work of small-batch food makers. There's a great scene where the chef is buying smoked meat from a Texan smokehouse BBQ place--where they do everything by hand, using correct hardwood. (Never judge a book by its cover, you know. And "Bigger isn't always Better).
Having worked for several years amidst a Long Island restaurant and a catering hall--coupled with my knowledge of restaurants and my friendships with chefs/waiters/managers/owners/bar tenders--I know that many kitchens (but not the really good ones) can easily fall into buying all their ingredients from conglomerate corporations like Tyson and Marriott Foods. However, this film only highlights the chef's desires to get fresh ingredients "on the day of cooking". He buys fresh seafood from the fishermen in the morning. He hand-selects the veggies and spices and fruits from the markets--thus helping local farmers. He gets freshly baked bread. And he spends the time to make each dish perfectly. In one admirable scene (which I'm sure we'd all look for in our favorite chefs), the chef reprimands his son who wanted to give a slightly burned Cubano sandwich to a waiting man. But, he just doesn't scold the boy; he stops everything and takes his son aside to make it unerringly clear that "they don't do that". The father wants to be sure his foundation of Good Service is properly understood… for everything is built on that. Yay!
The young boy also used his iPhone talents to capture 1 second videos/"pans", each day, and he strung them together to create a short movie. He showed it to his father and the sous chef, as a memento of their journey. After all, "Life is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the ride." Its a good reminder of the positive results from taking pictures, using social media, keeping a diary/blog: to capture the beautiful moments and learning curves that you've experienced, which make you the person you are today.
The cost, the effort and the cooking method are requisite to making the delicious end product… which all the customers' palettes unanimously recognize. Which is how the food critic approaches the chef in LA and apologizes. They both apologize. Echoing the finale of the other great food film, "Ratatouille", the critic has sold his internet interests and offers to "financially back" the chef for a new restaurant--letting the chef do whatever he wants! Yes, its a feel-good ending. And yes, its a really fun movie--full of male antics, challenges, and showing that Second Chances are always available. Second chances with loved ones, with careers, and with your soul's connection to your life's journey. Just listen to the hints.
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