Written by / 5/18/2014 / No comments / , , , , , ,

JON FAVREAU WRITES & DIRECTS & STARS IN CHEF

year: 2014 rating: **1/2
Fans of SWINGERS, good news… That film’s writer and star is back in indie form after directing and igniting the IRON MAN franchise, and then crash landing with the big budget misfire, COWBOYS AND ALIENS…

In CHEF, Jon Favreau plays Carl Casper, a name that sounds like a superhero but his powers are in the kitchen… of someone else’s restaurant. That’s the first of three dilemmas...

His boss doesn’t want any original menu items, making Carl’s work a dull template, eventually beleaguered by a top food critic who, going viral on Twitter, shares an awful review that turns into an online feud, eventually making our put-upon hero look ridiculous. And on top of quitting his job, Carl’s a weekend dad for a moody son who wants more and more time: The funniest scenes occur as Favreau displays his usual neurotic charm, trying desperately to climb out of a seemingly endless hole. But halfway through, as the main plot ushers in… of a once great restaurant chef running his own food truck… it’s all sunshine viewed through rose-colored glasses, deleting the edgy banter that made MADE and SWINGERS so engaging.

One problem is how easily Carl comes to own the truck in the first place, conceived and handed down by his ex-wife and backed by her rich ex-husband, played by IRON MAN himself, Robert Downey Jr., in a caustic cameo surprisingly awkward and unfunny (Jon’s ex partner Vince Vaughn would have worked better). But this scene’s purpose is how Carl floats into what should be a risky venture, which, through his son’s twitter account, becomes such an instant smash there’s little left for the characters, or the audience, to worry about.

If the intention was to make a feel-good road movie about a father and son bonding, Favreau's hit a home run. Or if exploiting delicious looking food is a factor – this could very well be the CITIZEN KANE of taste buds. But for anyone who prefers a dash of perpetual stress as an essential comedy ingredient, CHEF, while somewhat satisfying, is a meal that leaves much to be desired.
Share This Post :
Tags : , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

All Time Popular

Featured Post

JAMES CAGNEY DRIVES 'THE ST. LOUIS KID' WITH ALLEN JENKINS

Title: THE ST. LOUIS KID Year: 1934 Rating: **** Great early James Cagney romp has he and glass-jaw sidekick Allen Jenkins as truck drivers ...

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM
Movie Reviews, Interviews, Articles and Pop Culture from White Heat to Blue City

RIP ACTOR KEN HUTCHISON

TOTAL HITS

Popular Trending

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE
RANDOM QUOTE: "Sir, let those laugh that win." Ryan O'Neal, Barry Lyndon

FILM NOIR & NEO NOIR CRIME

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)ROBBERY 3)HELL IS A CITY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)HOT CARS 8)JUNGLE STREET 9)ANATOMY OF A MURDER 10)THE CROWDED SKY 11))THE MAN FROM LARAMIE 12)SHARKS' TREASURE 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)THE SYSTEM 17)WHITE HEAT 18)AL CAPONE 19)HIDDEN FEAR 20)FALLEN ANGEL 21)NIGHT CREATURES 22)CURSE OF THE DEMON 23)ASH WEDNESDAY 24)THE BREAK 25)AIR PATROL 26)JOURNEY INTO FEAR 27)EASY LIVING 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)FRENZY 30)THE ROARING TWENTIES 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)WILLIAM LUCAS 1)VIRGINIA MAYO 2)SUE LYON 3)GENE TIERNEY 4)MERRY ANDERS 5)FAYE DUNAWAY DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)STANLEY KUBRICK 4)ORSON WELLES 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)JOHN LANDIS 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)VAL GUEST 9)JOHN CARPENTER 10)MICHAEL WINNER

BRITISH NEW WAVE CINEMA

RARITIES AND EXPLOITATION

HAMMER HORROR & THRILLER

Popular This Month

CHARLES BRONSON CINEMA

CINEMA OF DANA ANDREWS

WESTERN GENRE REVIEWS

PEAKING INTO THE SIXTIES

KICKING IN THE EIGHTIES

TALES AND REFLECTIONS

REVVING THE SEVENTIES

FOR HORROR MOVIE REVIEWS

Most Popular Last Year

RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE