Title: Chef
Starring: Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt and Dustin Hoffman
LA based chef Carl Casper (Favreau) is stuck: in his professional life, he’s doing the same thing every night to keep his boss Riva (Hoffman) happy, and in his personal life, his marriage has ended and he’s growing ever more estranged from his son Percy (Anthony). After a very heated argument with Riva – about the impending visit of a food critic (Platt) – Carl decides to leave the restaurant when the visit ends in Carl’s humiliation and a confrontation gone viral.
With a little encouragement and help from his ex Inez (Vergara) and former colleagues Molly (Johansson) and Martin (Leguizamo), Carl takes a journey home to Miami and is convinced to open a food truck. Joined by Martin and Percy, Carl’s journey back to Los Angeles is filled with good times, a lot of laughs and love among the central trio and a reassurance of what life is all about. Plus some really delicious looking food. Add in a hilarious cameo appearance from Robert Downey Jr and this is a must see.
Watch if You Liked: Any Jon Favreau film, Begin Again, Sideways.
Rating: 8.5/10. Sweet but not at all sickly, this film is a delight for the senses and the soul. One word of advice though – don’t watch it on an empty stomach.
Words by Megan Roxburgh