Chef (2014)
(2014)Starting from scratch never tasted so good.
Jon Favreau (Swingers) writes, directs and co-stars alongside Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey Jr in this culinary comedy. After Carl (Favreau) loses his restaurant job, he starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise.... More
"When Chef Carl Casper (Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Hoffman), he is left to figure out what's next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife (Vergara), his friend (John Leguizamo) and his son (Emjay Anthony) to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen." (SXSW Festival)Hide
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Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Jon Favreau, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Amy Sedaris, Bobby Cannavale, Oliver Platt, Garry Shandling
Written by Jon Favreau
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 5 providers
Flicks Review
BY Dominic Corry Flicks Writer
Like Sam Raimi with Drag Me to Hell, Chef represents a mega director (in this case Iron Man's Jon Favreau) returning to the flavour of his early work (in this case, Swingers and Made) to rejuvenate his storytelling juices. And like Drag Me to Hell, it serves as a hearty reminder of why the director has been so successful.... More
A heartfelt and endearing confection of a film, Chef's modest narrative ambitions are a welcome respite from the all-things to all-people nature of most films that come out of Hollywood around this time of year.
While there is some conflict present, nothing hugely dramatic happens in Chef. But the film's dedication to its characters moves the story along nicely, and the food scenes alone make it worth seeing. Prepare to salivate.
All the big name co-stars are fun, but very few of them stick around for more than one or two scenes. Favreau (who unlike Raimi, also acts) ably carries the proceedings however.
I consider Made to be one of the most underrated American comedies of the past few decades, and it was a thrill to see that film's unique comedic sensibility evoked in Chef. Even without that comparison, Chef very much deserves to join Big Night and Dinner Rush in the canon of great American food movies.Hide
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Chef (2014)
BY Dan-Thompson superstar
A sweet, fun road movie about a chef & his son. Much better than I anticipated (I anticipated it to be bad).
BY Coraliee superstar
Quite enjoyed this film, kept me entertained throughout. Several stories going on - hurt chef after bad food review makes a successful come back, reconnects with estranged son, finds love again. A feel good movie that leaves you with a sweet taste in your mouth.
BY SamanthaLea grader
I liked the casting though and I thought they used social media to the advantage of the film with cool on screen graphics. This movie will definitely click with the crowds that actually go to food trucks and know street food because they're more likely to be into indie movies and suit the scene. I feel there... More could have been a bit more of an importance placed on the traveling aspect of the food truck as well.
It's a fun and upbeat movie with a feel good factor.Hide
BY The_Chihuahua superstar
I loving cooking. Watching it, cooking it and eating it! So yeah, I had a little high expectation for the movie. Was my expectation meet? Nooo, it was hard to swallow and dry as a overcooked turkey. It was just a below par drama disguised in a popular-fade-TV-shows, adapted for a big screen. Yep, you guess it, mediocre at best. And that was generous. Now where's the sauce!
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The Press Reviews
87%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Never less than pleasant, and often extremely funny. Full Review
The easygoing comedy keeps a familiar story going despite minor plot hiccups. Full Review
The film belongs to Favreau in every sense, and his father-son relationship with Percy is at the heart of the film's heart. Full Review
Simple but likeable... about the bonding between a neglectful father and his needy son. Full Review
You become so thoroughly steeped in Casper's day-to-day routine that there are few dull spots. Full Review
There's family-friendly fluff here, sure, but this dish has considerable bite. Full Review
A shallow but enjoyable all-American morality play ... Full Review
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