Coming from blockbusters like the praised "Iron Man" and the despised "Cowboys & Aliens",and despite being born to the cinema in an indie background, I never thought Jon Favreau could pull off a dramedy so jolly. "Chef" has such a good vibe to it that it's almost impossible not to smile when the movie starts. The opening shots lead us to believe that the plot of the film will only revolve around cooking and menus. However, ten/twenty minutes in and we can clearly understand the it has also other layers, such as, troubled father and son relations, lack of stimule to creativity affecting the main character (Chef Carl Casper), boss/employee relationship, etc. I would say the main purpose of the movie is to tell the story of a troubled middle aged man who wants to break out of the ordinary, have a proper relationship with his son and seeks a freely way of living, a more creative one. Besides the plot, the film also features an amazing cast, starting with Favreau and ending with Robert Downey Jr., amidst the gorgeous looking Scarlett Johansson and Sofia Vergara. Dustin Hoffman also gives a good performance. The young Emjay Anthony is certainly a revelation. "Chef" was one of the best movies of 2014, a comedy for most of the time, with some drama bits which accentuate the light-hearted approach the director went for. The film is also a self-aware critic to all the gastronomic industry, with all it's critics and bloggers and the consequences one bad reckless sentence can have on a cook's life. Besides, social networking is also proeminent in the plot, whether through the usage of Twitter to promote the "El Jefes" food truck or even through the usage of Vine to publish short videos. The photography is competent, wherein the film shines on what concerns to soundtrack. The Spanish sounds grant it a very light-hearted vibe and make it very enjoyable to watch. "Chef" is, above all, a smooth flick and very, I repeat,very enjoyable to watch. Jon Favreau is a name to consider on the next years, starting with "The Jungle Book" slated to release on 2016.
Review of Chef
