I know, I know, I know… This is a Hollywood movie playing in a chain movie theater. That’s not the sort of thing we like to promote ’round these parts. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s not in French. It’s not from the 40s. It’s not about a child trying to find his bicycle in war-torn Luxembourg. (That’s a real place, right?) This movie is none of those things, and (even worse) it stars the guy who directed Iron Man, with supporting performances by the trophy wife from the most critically overpraised sitcom on televison (no, not Big Bang Theory, the other one) and the most ubiquitous pretty face in current cinema (no, not Channing Tatum, the other one). Plus (ready to die?), there’s a cameo by Iron Man himself, and it’s just as implausible and ad-libbed as you expect it to be.
Know what? It works. All of it.
This is a brilliant film about one of the best subjects a good film can be about: food. So even if you didn’t like Iron Man (or Swingers)… even if you’ve seen enough Scarlett Johansson in your lifetime… even if you have decided you don’t even like food all that much, you should still see Chef while there is time to see it on a big screen.
Jon Favreau’s smart, funny, sentimental, kinda shaggy, gorgeously shot love letter to rock star chefs and being a dad is playing only a couple more days at the Carmike 13, and I highly recommend it.
The film screens Wednesday and Thursday at 10:00am, 1:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:00pm, and 9:45pm. After that, who knows…?