Jon Favreau’s Chef is a lot more than half-baked

Conflict in life can come from many places, but a common theme in entertainment is the conflict between desires and achievement, or the concept of attaining self-fulfillment. A worker drone who wants to be a famous author, a fry-cook who wants to be a radio DJ, or perhaps someone in an industry unable to gain the success they want. Because success can be defined in many ways, either in monetary achievement, fame, respect, or creative expression. A banker might desperately want to do something wildly different that doesn’t provide as much money. And then there’s the possibility that you’re the famous director of such acclaimed and beloved movies as Elf and Iron Man, but whose recent movies (Iron Man 2 and Cowboys and Aliens) may not be that great. Perhaps you already have enough money and just want to have some creative control. If so, you may just be Jon Favreau. Or maybe that’s just a guess.

Chef is, of course, the latest film from writer-director Jon Favreau, in which he plays Carl Casper, a celebrity chef in an expensive LA restaurant who hasn’t been as famous in recent years. He finds himself disillusioned by the repetitive menu despite having some sort of thing going with beautiful hostess Scarlett Johansson. Her name doesn’t really matter, because she’s not that important to the story. Carl has an ex-wife, played by Sofia Vergara, with whom he has a son, Percy (Emjay Anthony). If you think that Carl’s not giving enough real quality time to his son, you’re right. But luckily it’s not nearly that bad. When Carl has a meltdown when famed online food critic (Oliver Platt) gives him a bad review that’s entirely reasonable, Carl gets fired and decides he needs a change. So it’s off to go cross country with sous chef Jon Leguizamo and finally reconnect with his son. And of course, Twitter and social media are a big part of his new venture, which means his son can finally teach his dad something too.

I really liked this movie. The visions of food lovingly prepared are a treat as they move through the US. While some of the resolutions may seem a bit pat, the setup a bit logically flawed, and the cameos a bit unnecessary, this is a movie that celebrates having a good time with your family. There is a strong element of appreciate for other cultures, although some might uncharitably call it appropriation. I think that misses the point, which is that anyone can love food from any culture. And it is a bit ridiculous that Jon Favreau cast Sofia Vergara and Scarlet Johansson as love interests, but I suppose you can’t really blame him.

Jon Favreau excels primarily as a director here, although much of his dialogue in the latter acts sparkles too. His acting is fine, although I buy his camaraderie with his buddies more than with his son. The kid is a decent actor, nothing amazing, but he works well here. It may seem of little surprise, but Jon Leguizamo is excellent here, the shining star of the movie. Excepting of course, the beautiful work done by the food. Sometimes cooking food isn’t filmed that well, but it’s clear how the love of good food and good friends permeates to even the most obtuse watcher as themes of the movie. There’s a lot of laughs and a decent amount of heart, and it just might make you think of dusting off the old cookbook to give your grandmother’s recipes another try.