Review of Chef (2014) by Harvey R — 19 Mar 2016

If you're a Netflix subscriber, you understand the struggle that is wading through the wasteland of straight-to-DVD mediocrity. Hidden among the jumbled mess lies a decently polished gem directed, produced and starring Jon Favreau called Chef.

It follows the story of Carl Casper, a renowned Chef in Brentwood, California. When a prominent food critic pays a visit to the his place of business, he dials up a series of courses sure to result in a stellar review. The owner of the restaurant, played by Dustin Hoffman, disapproves of his ideas preferring to stick to the menu favorites.

A two star rating by the critic sets Casper's temper ablaze, who takes out his frustrations on the blogger and owner before quitting. Now he must juggle an uncertain future with a son longing to develop a closer relationship with him while he searches for the next step in his career.

Favreau actually incorporated parts of his own life into the film's script and boy does it show. The Iron Man actor seems completely at home in the culinary environment and absolutely nails the role of a proud, somewhat foul-mouthed, speed-talking cook. Sofia Vergara stars as Casper's former wife and handles the rather downplayed part fairly well, despite being accustomed to the loud, comedic character she has portrayed in ABC's Modern Family since 2009.

Casper's son, Percy, is an adolescent trying to cope with his parent's divorce and increasingly estranged dad. Played by Emjay Anthony (It's Complicated), he does a convincing job of mingling passive disappointment at his father's absence with eager curiosity and enthusiasm when Casper begins to make more time for him. John Leguizamo performs admirably as Casper's loyal sidekick and provides his own share of comedic relief on screen.

Hoffman only appears for a short duration but depicts a frustratingly unoriginal owner well enough that you want to punch him in the face by the time Casper finally quits. Scarlett Johansson also has a minor role as a server.

The strength of this movie lies in its ability to blend just the right amount of humor with heartfelt themes on the importance of family, humility and pursuing one's passion. Over the course of this film, Casper's journey takes him from a distant dad, ignoring his potential, to a loving and involved parent who finds joy working alongside his son as a self-employed maverick of the food truck industry.

In a time where comedies are a dime a dozen, Chef provides a healthy dose of laughs without falling into the lazy conventionality of profanity-laced, bathroom humor. If you can't get on board with that, then it's still a sizzling, frying and baking montage of delicious meals sure to inspire your inner culinary creativity.