This post includes a brief plot summary and a review of the film “Chef” (2014). Beware of mild spoilers.
Note: This is not a first-time watch review but rather a rewatch. Back in 2014, I went to the theatre by myself and had a blast watching “Chef”. Years later, I had the opportunity to rewatch it again with my family, and it was just as fun as I remembered it to be. So, I thought, why not write a review about it? So here it is.
Imagine a top-tier chef quitting his job at a prestigious restaurant to start his own Cuban sandwich business on wheels. Sounds crazy, right? Well, that’s exactly what our protagonist of “Chef”, Carl Casper, does.
Jon Favreau is the director and leading man of the 2014 comedy-drama. The film has a stellar cast, starring well-known names such as Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, and many more.
The film “Chef” is about a man who is on a personal journey to rediscover his love for food and family.
Carl Casper is a respected head chef at a fancy restaurant, “Gauloises”, in Los Angeles. Most of the time, his boss, Riva, is not around, meaning that Carl has total freedom to create the foods he wants and showcase his creativity.
Nevertheless, Carl’s reputation is challenged when a famous food critic, Ramsey Michel, trashes Carl’s food by calling it “bland”. So what happened? Riva told Carl to stick to the “old menu”. Although the chef complied, the decision came with a hefty cost—a terrible review.
Determined to prove Ramsey wrong, Carl invites him again to the restaurant. The result is the same because Riva forbade him from making “original food”. The fiasco leads to Carl quitting his job and Ramsey leaving another humiliating review. Carl confronts Ramsey, and his meltdown becomes a viral video.
Unemployed Carl receives an unusual invitation from his ex-wife, Inez, to come with her to Miami and “babysit” their son, Percy. Once Carl gets a taste of Cuban cuisine again, inspiration hits him. Now, the chef wants to get a food truck and sell Cuban sandwiches. With the help of his ex-wife, an old friend from the restaurant, Martin, and Percy, Carl puts his dream into motion.
“Carl Casper’s journey to culinary redemption serves as a vehicle to explore more personal themes such as family and second chances.”
The conflict between Carl and Riva in “Chef” stems from having different priorities.
Carl is the head chef of an upscale restaurant, and his main focus is creating innovative dishes—cooking is his passion. Meanwhile, Riva is on the other side of the food business. In this case, he is the restaurant owner, and he is solely interested in making profits by betting on safe choices.
None of them are wrong, they just have different interests and priorities. At the end of the day, Carl had to comply with Riva’s wishes because the chef is operating on someone else’s platform. Starting a food truck business gave Carl an opportunity to explore his creativity without bounds, because now he owns the “stage”.
There is an intimate relationship between Carl’s career and his personal life.
It’s not clear why Carl and Inez broke up. Nevertheless, the film does hint that Carl’s incessant quest to further his culinary career somehow drove a wedge between him and his ex-wife. The divorce has impacted their son, Percy, who feels somehow estranged from his father.
Starting a new venture allowed Carl to reconnect with his son and his wife, Inez. Through the process of “falling in love” with food and cooking again, Carl also flourished in his personal life. But experiencing success was definitely a determining factor for this positive outcome.
Carl Casper’s love interests in “Chef” are very interesting, to say the least.
Both the ex-wife, Sofia Vergara, and his work fling, Scarlett Johansson, are kind of out Carl’s league. Having said that, this casting choice was definitely a witty one because it adds a comedic layer to the film.
Nonetheless, the relationship between Carl and these women also inadvertently sends a positive message to the audience. It suggests that Carl doesn’t need to be a perfect specimen to get these super hot women. His talent combined with his profound passion for a craft is what makes him “attractive”.
Final Thoughts
“Chef” is simple and unpretentious. Rather than focusing on a larger-than-life type of plot, it centers its attention on a man’s pursuit of his passion and the importance of family. Even the culinary aspect of the film is done in a beautiful and simple manner. Great food is celebrated in “Chef”, and it’s not about working with the fanciest ingredients but passion and skill.
Overall, “Chef” is a very good film. It has a relatable plot, a very wholesome vibe, and the pacing is great. Not only will the audience leave the film with a satisfied soul but also hungry for some good food. The director, Jon Favreau, really knows how to “manipulate” viewers with those delicious and mouth-watering food shots. Yummy.
Final Rating: 🍎🍎 (Very Good)
