Chef the Movie, a review.

 

I was invited by MVP India to a preview of the film Chef. I have been waiting for this film ever since I first heard of it so i made it my business to go. The husband played 'nanny'and I zipped from Powai to Worli for a date with the Chef. For the first time in my life I was happy to go watch a movie on my own because the trailers promised that this was going to be the ultimate in food porn and I wanted to persue my voyeuristic pleasures in solitude.

And I wasn't disappointied! If there was ever a movie that was made for foodies its #Chef. A fantastic star-cast of cuban sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, melting cheese, sizzling, smoking and steaming meats, fried bacon, oodles of pork, cameo appearances by culinary stars like gojujang and carne asada all glazed with a patina of glistening fat. The camera makes such unashamed love to all of them that I was glad I was alone. Because a slavering foodie is not a pretty sight!
 

Chef also a reflection of food trends today.A few years ago Julie&Julia gave foodbloggers identity. Today Chef gives insight into exactly what the food scene is all about currently. The online, in-your-face cannot-ignore-it presence of food in our lives  offline and online. The conflict between the money bags clueless-about food-owner and brilliant chef with no creative freedom. The wonderful power of digital and social media that can cripple a business or ruin a person and also let the smallest little idea virally soar to success and bring phenomenal success to people.

And beyond the food there is a story of creativity, passion for food, love, life. Chef Carl Casper chucks his job at a fancy LA restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its the control freak owner (Dustin Hoffman) and is left in a rut. He ends up accompanying his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) on a trip to Miami where he finds an outlet for his creativity in a dilapidated food truck. Partnered with his his friend (John Leguizamo) and his most delectable little boy he takes to the road and does what he has been wanting to do for so lon. Just Cook!

And in this there is another reflection of life today. Chef, speaks to a broader life story that stretches beyond the kitchen. That romatic notion of ditching a traditional job in favor of pursuing something more fulfilling. If you see the amount of people that write n to me to quit their fancy paying jobs to join me at my studio, you will know what I mean. I also see trends coming off it, Food Trucks and Cuban food are going to be the new flavour on the block. 

One of the most moving parts of the film actually comes post the credits: in a brief behind-the-scenes glimpse where the consulting chef on the movie Choi directs Favreau in making a proper grilled cheese sandwich. Poised over hot grill, Choi instructs to a captivated Favreau in one of these serendiptious unplanned moments when the perfect ingredients result in a special alchemy that cannot be scripted. That is the heart of this movie i think. Good ingredients, cooked perfectly.

I LOVED Chef. It makes up for all the food themed movies that have not been made so far. If you are someone who loves food, especially cooking, go watch it. If you have ever had that feeling that you JUST WANT TO COOK! Watch this film. Go with food loving friends. And have some awesome cuts of meat on standby because I guarantee that when you come out of that movie you will be lusting to fire up a grill and cook some meat!


 

 

 GYAAN
Chef releases in India on the 20th of June, 2014 and is distributed by MVP Entertainment India