Chef - movie review

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Jon Favreau usually is associated with more action movies like Iron Man, Aliens and Cowboys, and he spends more time behind the camera or in the directing chair these days, but I am glad he decided to take on a different kind of project that warms not only the heart but also the stomach..

In fact, if you aren't reaching out for a cubana or some kind of sandwich after watching this, you aren't human... Jon actually took lessons from a food truck chef to make this show and that's really him chopping those veggies at top speed.

This light-hearted and yet moving show depicts Jon as a chef who cooks well albeit unhappily at a top restaurant in LA, and his creative juices are suppressed by his boss, played nicely by Dustin Hoffman. A top food critic lambasts his efforts and he goes berserk,  leading to a meltdown and his sacking.

At the same time, he has trouble connecting with his son, who lives with his estranged wife, played by a super hot Sofia Vegara. He then goes on a journey of renewal, as a food truck chef, re-connecting with his passions, in food, love and more.

Jon must have called in a few favors, getting some of his co-stars from other movies to cameo in this show, and they don't merely show up. Robert Downing JR is cute and eccentric all at once, we saw Dustin Hoffman making full use of his few minutes, and John Leguizamo is a wonderful supporting actor, who holds his own. Emjay Anthony is wonderful as his kid, and is quite endearing without being cutesy.

I also like the idea of using social media, and how they convey the usage of Twitter... I think I first saw this in Sherlock Holmes, the BBC series.

Bad points? Well Scarlett comes and goes, and we don't really know why she's there. The ending is a little too pat if you are really a skeptic, but it works fine for me, even with the happy ever after sort of conclusion.

There are also a lot of F-bombs, which I didn't think were needed for the plot, especially since this could have been such a great family movie..

It's not a movie for action fans, nor does it have a lot of surround, but there's plenty of Cuban music to give your sound system a good workout, and more importantly the picture quality is great, so you get wonderful views of food that will send you out to grab a Cuban sandwich once the credits go up.

Recommended for at least a view and if you like food shows with a heart, this is a keeper.




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I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

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