Chef
Dir: Jon Favreau
2014
****
Jon Favreau's Chef is the feel good film of 2014. I stupidly watched it on day two of a seven day diet, a huge mistake as the food on screen looks so good you can almost taste it. Do not watch this film if you are dieting, hungry or have high cholesterol. Jon Favreau is a likable chap and he plays on that big time. It make me smile somewhat that he has cast the beautiful Scarlett Johansson and Sofía Vergara as his love interests, but it's his film and why wouldn't you. The supporting cast is mix of favorites including John Leguizamo, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr., Oliver Platt and Booby Cannavale (who I would have liked to have seen more of), all seem to be good friends in real life which comes across on the screen. The script is great, it is pretty fresh considering the overall story is fairly familiar. The only problem I have with the film is that it has a shockingly underdeveloped Act III. Certain characters are forgotten and the last half is fairly dialogue free, with loud Cuban music drowning out what little is said. It doesn't matter too much though, the three main characters are getting away from it all on a road trip and so this does fit with the feel of the story. They say food brings people together and this film backs up that sentiment, it's a very simple but lovely film.