Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“Chef” (6 out of 10) – Written by Jon Favreau; Directed by Jon Favreau; Starring Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Emjay Anthony, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara, and Oliver Platt; 114 minutes; Rated R.
“Chef” was another one of those movies that I scrolled past on Netflix a dozen times before watching. With each scroll my mind wore down a little more until finally, I gave in to the cumulative pressure and clicked play. This is usually how I come across some of the best stuff on Netflix, by subtle wearing down over time, it’s also how I find some of the worst stuff. “Scorpion King 4” is not worth your time, trust me.
“Chef” was written, produced, and directed by Jon Favreau who also stars as the central character Carl Casper, an aging chef who saw early success but has lost control of his menu along with his credibility.
When a renowned food blogger (Platt) comes to his establishment Casper is lambasted online resulting in one of the most cringeworthy reactions since the invention of the internet. A secondary theme of the movie is the awesome and terrifying power of the social media and the consequences that come along with it, especially for the uninitiated.
After a scathing review is posted online, chef Carl Casper takes to Twitter to confront the blogger in what he thinks is a private message but is actually a public tweet. What follows is Casper losing his job and being forced to go to his ex-wife’s ex-husband (Robert Downey Jr.) for help in getting a food truck started up.
In so doing Carl Casper once again becomes his own boss and regains his creative control over what he cooks. Joined by a former member of his staff and his son, they spend the summer travelling around selling Cuban sandwiches to people on the street. His son, a member of a youthful generation born into an interconnected world of technology, documents his father’s endeavor online garnering him a successful internet following that translates into real world success.
The movie hits a lot of the right notes, giving us a story of a man down on his luck who goes back to his roots and finds success again by centering in on what he loved about his job in the first place. More importantly he connects with his son who had previously taken a back seat to Casper’s career.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD.
It goes a little over the rails at the end though, the movie would have been satisfying enough had Casper simply found happiness again and connected with his son. The final scene has Casper approached by the same blogger who crucified him online and sent his life into a spiral, only this time the blogger is elated and offers Casper his own restaurant where he will be in complete control. Casper also reunites with his ex-wife wrapping everything up in a fancy little bow. It all just feels too gratuitous and fake. Taking a risk is sometimes a good thing, especially if you’re back’s against the wall but I half expected a bird to land on his shoulder and the screen to fade to black while bright bold letters spell out “…and they lived happily ever after.”
Aside from the last ten minutes I really liked “Chef” if felt real, the protagonist was likeable despite being imperfect and kind of a crappy Dad. He’s redeemed through his fall from grace and it’s all ruined when he’s magically returned to it, but maybe those sandwiches really are that good.