Jacob’s gems: Chef (2014)

Rather than constantly writing reviews, I thought it would be good to shake things up a little and write about past films that worthy of your time. If you’ve seen a film I talk about before, hopefully I can compel you to sit down and watch it again as these films just deserve multiple viewings! If you have not seen the films I mention in this segment, please let me tell you why they deserve your attention. As the title suggests, these are films that hold a very special place in my heart. These films never bore me nor do they age a day, well in my eyes they do not. I hope to persuade those of you to either expand your cinematic library, or help you re-watch these films you might have seen before in a new light.

Today, I’d like to talk about Jon Favreau’s indie film Chef. I was inspired to start with this favourite of mine after seeing the Hot 8 Brass Band live in Oxford for the second time. Featuring on the films soundtrack, I was reminded how much the film wants to make you move your hips and dance uncontrollably whilst cooking yourself a meal. Favreau writes, directs and stars in this picture which sees Chef Carl Casper, one of LA’s best up and coming chefs, struggle with both his family life as well as his job where he wants to be the best chef he knows he can be. After a humiliating encounter with the biggest food critic in Los Angeles, he decides to start cooking for the sake of cooking and finds himself owning a food truck. With help from his ex-wife Inez, their son Percy, his best friend Martin and even Inez’s ex-husband Marvin (played rather brilliantly by Robert Downey Jr.) he starts making and selling Cubanos, otherwise known as Cuban sandwiches. Going on a road trip from Miami, New Orleans, Austin and finishing back in LA, this is a journey of self-discovery for Carl. Not only does he re-discover what it means to cook for himself again, but how much he really loves his son Percy. By previously putting work first, Carl learns to put family first and becomes forever happier for it.

So, why do I love this film and why is it worth your attention? It’s a movie that addresses what it means to live not just in 21^st century Los Angeles, but 21^st century everywhere. Combining the power of good cooking and the magic of social media, Favreau shows us how easy it can be both use, as well as misuse, Twitter when it comes to self-promotion. Those of you who are fans of a certain You Tube personality named Filthy Frank will know that he loves a good meme. He and his friends share a love of this film because of its embrace this new art form of what it is to be/make a meme. I’d recommend watching the videos that reference how funny Chef is as a meme but that’s probably not a good idea. The film discusses how Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the late platform Vine (RIP, forever in our hearts) now are our go to places to see what is ‘trending’ in the world of sports, gossip, news and not to mention, food. Because who doesn’t love a good picture of some delicious looking food on their timeline?

Like Father like Son

Speaking of food, oh my will this film make you want to get up and start cooking for yourself or at least go and experience an incredible meal at an independent restaurant. It should go without saying that you shouldn’t watch this film hungry as from the opening scene to the end credits, I lose count of how many dishes are cooked over the 1 hour and 54-minute run time but I know for sure that each and every one of them would have led to a party with my taste buds. With Cubanos (Cuban sandwiches) being the main feature, we also we see a few unique forms of American cuisine from the gourmet meals Carl prepares at the beginning, Beignets from New Orleans to slow grilled steak from the heart of Austin, Texas. In short, if you love your food, you’ll love this film.

Best cheese toasty you've ever seen, probably... 

Now to review the reason I decided to write this, the soundtrack. With entries from, as you may have guessed, Hot 8 Brass Band, with other acts such as Pete Rodriguez, Pericho Hernanez and Gary Clark Jr. to name a few, it is a real funk fest from start to finish. With music fresh out of the Hispanic roots of Miami, the fast-paced tunes to replicate the nature of living and working in LA with remixes of old songs to fit the pace of the film. Where Chef Carl Casper is an artist in his own regard, these bands are artists in theirs and that’s what this film is about when you strip everything away: it’s a film that celebrates art and the artists who work so unbelievably hard to present their work to the people. The best moments are when the film shows live performances of said songs which connect the location to the people, making sure we as the audience know where these cultures come from, how they sound and how they taste. Yes, I know we can’t taste them but just looking at what is made at each stop on their trip, it would be hard for a vegetarian to say no to what these guys serve up.

Hopefully you look better than this singing along

Jon Favreau proves to us that he can take any topic, be it an adaptation of a comic book or beloved children’s story, see Iron Man 1 and Iron Man 2 as well as 2016’s The Jungle Book, or give him the reigns of an original Christmas film, Elf, he is a consistently competent film maker who can take on his own projects with ease. That being said, Chef is a terrific film that celebrates all things food, music and family values with an all-star cast comprising of the likes of: Jon Favreau himself, Sophia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Dustin Hoffman, Bobby Cannavale and the one and only Robert Downey Jr. Hopefully this piece might have persuaded you to watch this gem of an indie film and if you feel compelled to sit down and enjoy it, you’ll be able to find it on Netflix leaving no excuse for you true Netflix bingers. Bon Appétit!