Review of Chef (2014) by Blake P — 21 Dec 2014

Chef is one of the few feel-good comedies of the year that doesn't make you feel guilty for loving it. Not once did I feel like a sap; not once did I feel like an overly emotional stay-at-home dad. The film is able to warm your heart in that three-hanky, too-good-to-be-true way, yes, but it's much too bright to be only cloying. Chef is passionate, agreeably witty, and, when the time is right, acidic. It has a sort of old-fashioned escapism that surrounds us with a spicy but sweet ambience; even the "conflicts" are a part of the charade, as they are tinged with the notion that all will end on a blissful note. It's rare that a blissful note can feel so true; most of the time, happy endings are merely a tired routine to turn crap into chocolate.

Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) has had the same job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant for years; it has paid him well, given him somewhat of a grasp on creative control, and has made his childhood hopes and dreams become a reality. But now that he's in his 40s, Casper is beginning to doubt much of his work. He wants to spruce up the menu at the restaurant, but his boss (Dustin Hoffman) won't allow it. Things take a turn for the worse when a respected food critic (Oliver Platt) trashes his work in a scathing review.

Casper decides to quit, but the slicing of ties ends with a very public meltdown that leaves him broke and laughed at by the population. He takes all the negative energy, however, and forges it into a risky idea; what if he opened a Cuban food cart? It's a serious step down from the luxuries of his previous job. But once business begins rolling again, he finds his life suddenly reinvigorated.

Favreau has been writing, directing, and starring in his own movies for a decade now; Chef is a return to his everyday roots after massive projects like Iron Man and Elf. But even in his most upscale moments, Favreau has proven time and time again that he can balance heart and heftiness with ease; if you're going to touch our ever sensitive souls, you'll have to do so in a subtle, brainy way. Chef is possibly such a lovable film because Favreau bonds with us; we're never manipulated into shedding a metaphorical tear. The themes of family, work, and the dreaded mid-life crisis are all on display, but they are done in a way that leaves unwanted clichés behind.

Much should be made for the soundtrack as well - wrapped with Latin fire, it reflects the excitement Casper feels as he reaches into his past and makes his early cooking days new again. It only adds to the film's bustling energy, heightening its quirky joys.

When the film isn't making our mouth water with a never-ending array of tasty looking dishes, it's kicking those legendary endorphins in our brain. It's hard to find a movie that can be pleasantly diverting and self-aware; kudos to Favreau for taking a risk. It's a reinvention of underrated means, considering he could have easily taken the blockbuster route once again.