Chef (2014)

*** out of ****

Jon Favreau is a bit of an enigma to me. Immensely likeable as an actor and far from untalented, with the exception of his involvement in the “Iron Man” franchise he seems to select only projects that are intriguing but doomed to be ignored by the public. “Chef” is great example – a really enjoyable movie full of likeable and realistic characters, and I am immensely glad it managed to get made. But the fact that it made money is a shocker – this isn't the type of film you expect to draw crowds.

Favreau is Carl Casper, once an up-and-coming chef who has settled into a life of routine. He tries occasionally to break out of the routine, but by and large his creativity is completely stilted. The owner of the restaurant where he works (Dustin Hoffman) is no help, insisting that he cook only a basic menu. After a scathing review by an influential food critic (Oliver Platt), followed by a Twitter insult-fest between them, Carl is out of work and desperate. He feels unworthy of the love of his son, and swallows his pride to accept an offer from his ex-wife's first husband (Robert Downey Jr.) - to be given a food truck that he has in his junk yard.

Prior to the appearance of the food truck, the movie is simply pretty good. Once the food truck appears, things get really interesting. Working with his son and a friend (John Leguizamo), they fix up the truck and spend the summer driving across America developing a menu of various Cubanos sandwiches and side dishes. Carl's son is a social media savant, and uses Twitter to generate huge crowds wherever they go. This entire portion of the film is ridiculously fun. It isn't a straight comedy per se, but it is so enjoyable and light hearted that you just can't help but love what you're seeing on the screen.

And then there's the food. Being a bit of a glutton, it was almost torture. The food Carl made at the restaurant looked good, but his food truck creations were presented in such a way that you could almost smell and taste them. I wanted to eat everything they were making. This is truly terrific film-making, as I am certain that this is exactly the reaction Favreau's direction was intended to cause.

There is no intrigue in the plot and there are no twists and turns. This is a character-driven story about a man finding his own redemption, rediscovering his relationship with his son, and finding that subduing his creativity was the source of all his problems in the first place. As a viewer you get involved with the characters and the story, you like them and wish you could meet them. It is a success on every level. Just don't go hungry - you'll eat everything you can get your hands on just to be chewing while you look at all the wonderful food on the screen.