Chef (2014 film)

Written, directed, and starring Jon Favreau, Chef is the story of a once-revered chef who becomes creatively frustrated as a public meltdown forces him to start all over again as he buys a food truck and takes his young son on a cross-country trip to regain his love for cooking. The film is a return to Favreau’s independent roots after a period of high-budget blockbuster features as the film explores a chef not only returning to his own roots but also try to remember why he wanted to become a chef. Also starring Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Oliver Platt, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., EmJay Anthony, Amy Sedaris, and Dustin Hoffman. Chef is a dazzling and enjoyable film from Jon Favreau.

What happens to a chef when he is forced to make the food he doesn’t enjoy making as he is forced to start over again by going on his own and run a food truck? That is essentially what the film is about where Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) was someone who used to enjoy cooking but working in a posh Los Angeles restaurant where he is forced to cook meals he’s done so many times has him stifled as well as becoming neglectful towards his 10-year old son Percy (EmJay Anthony). After a negative review from a food critic who once championed him, he sends the critic a message on Twitter unaware that his response when viral forcing Carl to meltdown and lose his job. With the help of his ex-wife Inez (Sofia Vergara) and her ex-husband Marvin (Robert Downey Jr.), Carl buys a food truck as he takes Percy and his loyal friend Martin (John Leguizamo) across the country in the hopes to find joy again as a chef and regain the family he had neglected.

Jon Favreau’s screenplay doesn’t just explore a man being compromised by food critics and people he is forced to work for but also have him lose sight of what is really important in his life. For Carl, being a chef was something he was good at as he wanted to make some good food for people to enjoy but his boss (Dustin Hoffman) wants him to make the same menus that had made their restaurant one of the best in Los Angeles. For Favreau, it’s a story that showcases the frustrations of doing something for other people and not enjoy it as he allows the character of Carl to try and find something where he can enjoy cooking again. By taking Percy on the road with Martin, Carl not only tries to find ways to find that joy in cooking but sharing it with his son who would inspire him to be not just a better cook but also a better father. Though it’s a story that is predictable, it is filled with a lot of heart as well as humor where Favreau blends all sorts of genres and more.

Favreau’s direction is pretty simple in the way he presents these different storylines while going for compositions and such that are very simple. Even with the use of social media and cell-phone cameras, Favreau would use these tools to express a man trying to get his name and reputation back in a new world where everything is almost public. Shooting in various locations such as Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Austin, and other places in America. Favreau goes for a lot of a medium shots and close-ups while also infusing some stylish shots to play in to Carl Casper’s desire to find happiness again. The food truck that he would eventually buy would become a character in the film as it represented Carl’s rebirth while the food itself is just as important. It showcases the beauty and love Carl has in making food where it looks so good that it will have the audience wanting to eat it so bad. Overall, Favreau crafts a very delightful and delicious film about a chef seeking to regain his love for cooking with the help of family and friends.

Cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau does excellent work with the cinematography from not just the vibrancy of the many locations in its exterior scenes but also the low-key lighting in some of its interiors such as the restaurants and kitchens. Editor Robert Leighton does amazing work with the editing as it‘s straightforward in its approach to humor and drama while using some stylish montages including one notable montage in the film‘s third act that proves to be very effective. Production designer Denise Pizzini, with set decorator Bryan Venegas and art director Alicia Maccarone, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the restaurant that Carl worked at to the food truck where he would find his joy again.

Costume designer Laura Jean Shannon does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the clothes that Inez wears. Visual effects supervisor Bryan Godwin does terrific work with the minimal visual effects which involved tweet pop-ups appearing and the little Twitter bird flying around so it would help Carl get a good word of mouth. Sound editor Steve Slanec does superb work with the sound from the way the kitchens sound to some of the raucous atmosphere of the locations. Music supervisor Mathieu Schreyer does great work with the film‘s soundtrack with its mix of soul, jazz, and Cuban-jazz music to play into its sense of vibrancy that includes some low-key jazz-inspired pieces by Lyle Workman.

The casting by Sarah Finn is incredible as it features some notable appearances from Amy Sedaris as Inez’s publicist Jen who suggests to Carl to do a reality show, Jose C. Hernandez as Inez’s musician father, Bobby Cannavale as Carl’s sous chef Tony who would reluctantly replace Carl after he got fired, and Robert Downey Jr. in a very funny performance as Inez’s ex-husband Marvin who would give Carl the food truck. Scarlett Johansson is wonderful as the restaurant hostess Molly who is a lover of sorts for Carl as she thinks it’s best that he quit his job while Oliver Platt is terrific as the food critic Ramsay Michel who blasted Carl’s cooking at the restaurant. Dustin Hoffman is fantastic as Carl’s boss Riva who forces Carl to make the same menu that had made him famous as Hoffman has this great monologue about playing the hits that would frustrate Carl.

EmJay Anthony is amazing as Carl and Inez’s son Percy who wants to be with his dad while learning the ropes in being a good cook. John Leguizamo is excellent as Carl’s loyal line chef Martin who joins Carl on the road while being very funny as he provides lots of laughs and enthusiasm to his role. Sofia Vergara is superb as Carl’s ex-wife Inez who is still friendly with her ex-husband as well as wanting to help him where it’s a low-key yet effective performance from the actress. Finally, there’s Jon Favreau in a marvelous performance as Carl Casper as this chef who used to love to cook but becomes frustrated by being compromised as well as being a neglectful father as he tries to regain his joy to cook and his family as it’s a role where Favreau gets to be funny as well as show some heart in his performance.

Chef is a remarkable film from Jon Favreau. Joined by a superb ensemble cast and a fun soundtrack, the film is a truly delightful comedy that explores the world of cooking and a chef’s desire to find joy again in cooking. For people who enjoy films about food and cooking, this film will definitely have them desiring the food they see and wish it was available to them. In the end, Chef is a phenomenal film from Jon Favreau.

Jon Favreau Films: (Made) - (Elf) - (Zathura) - Iron Man - Iron Man 2 - (Cowboys & Aliens)

© thevoid99 2014

Romance & Cigarettes

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com 11/9/08.

John Turturro is known to many for his work with the Coen Brothers in such films as Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? where he is considered to be one of their acting regulars. While Turturro has also worked frequently with Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, and Spike Lee, he remains a devoted collaborator to the Coen Brothers. In 2005, Turturro turned to the Coen Brothers as producers for his third directorial feature in a musical-romance film entitled Romance & Cigarettes.

Written and directed by John Turturro with Joel and Ethan Coen serving as producers, Romance & Cigarettes tells the story of a working class husband whose life spins out of his control when his infidelity puts him into a moral crisis. Therefore, he has to choose between his wife and his seductive mistress while his three daughters are going against him following his affair with his mistress. Part romantic-comedy and part-musical with pop songs being the soundtrack, Turturro creates a film that is definitely in its own world.

With an all-star cast that includes James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mandy Moore, Steve Buscemi, Aida Turturro, Mary-Louise Parker, Christopher Walken, Bobby Cannavale, Barbara Sukowa, Eddie Izzard, Elaine Stritch, Cady Huffman, Adam LaFerve, Amy Sedaris, and Kumar Pallana. Romance & Cigarettes is a whimsical, romantic-comedy, musical film from John Turturro and company.

Nicky Murder (James Gandolfini) had just got caught cheating on his wife Kitty (Susan Sarandon) due to a love letter she found to his mistress Tula (Kate Winslet). His three daughters Rosebud (Aida Turturro), Constance (Mary-Louise Parker), and Baby (Mandy Moore) are all siding with their mother as they refuse to help him or give him any good food. With no support in his own home, he confides in his buddy Angelo (Steve Buscemi) about his affairs as he reveals his attraction toward the red-headed, Scottish woman known as Tula. Kitty meanwhile, turns to her friend Gracie (Barbara Sukowa) as her son Fryburg (Bobby Cannavale) is already dating Baby as Kitty's daughters are part of his band. After some guidance from Father Gene Vincent (Eddie Izzard), Kitty calls her cousin Bo (Christopher Walken) for help in trying to find Tula.

Nicky meanwhile, hears about improvements in his sex life with Tula as he goes to a doctor (David Thornton) for help. Yet, his affair with Tula starts to turn sour due to her crazy demands while Kitty is now dealing with the engagement between Fryburg and Baby. With Kitty getting closer to find about Tula with help from Bo, who is still reeling from his own heartbreak with his wife Ro (Cady Huffman). Baby turns to Nicky for advice where it's clear that despite his differences with Kitty, Nicky seems to agree in what Kitty is thinking about the engagement. A health crisis suddenly hits Nicky while Kitty finally finds Tula as Nicky's mother (Elaine Stritch) reveals harsh revelations. Things gets more revealing during a fight with neighbors (Adam LaFarve and Amy Sedaris) that also makes Kitty think about their troubled marriage.

The film can be described as a lot of things. Yet overall, the genre-bending film with romance, comedy, drama, and as a musical reveals something that audiences can relate to in this story of love gone wrong, infidelity, and other family crises. John Turturro creates a film where the musical elements is more about what a character would do if life was a musical. The approach is that the music does come naturally and without the idea where it feels staged or contrived. While the film doesn't have a real plot, the story about this man trying to figure out his role while coming to terms with his infidelity.

The direction is superb in its staging, musical sequences, and locations where a lot of it is shot on location in New Jersey. The first two acts are very strong in this exploration of infidelity and a woman scorned as she tries to figure out who Tula is. Yet, the third act is uneven in its tone as the exuberance of the first two acts goes away. Though there's music is played, it's more intimate yet it does disrupt the entire tone of the film. Despite the flaws the film has, Turturro does create an interesting film that really bends a lot of genres.

Cinematographer Tom Stern, known for his work with Clint Eastwood, does some excellent work with his camera in capturing the daytime look of New Jersey in its exteriors along with some of greyish work in some of the film's urban locations. The interior shots of the Murders' home is wonderfully intimate with low lights while an amazing, fiery sequence with Kate Winslet has Stern's camera capturing the action with great lighting and wide shots. Editor Ray Hubley does some excellent work with the film's cutting to capture the rhythm of some of the film's exuberance musical sequences that is wonderfully energetic. Though the third act does have pacing issues near the end, Hubley's work is still excellent in capturing the emotion of that act.

Production/costume designer Donna Zakowska along with set decorator Elaine O'Donnell and art director Mario Ventenilla do great work in the look of the glam-like look of the hotel suite for a memorable dance sequence along with the look of New Jersey in all of its dirty yet blue-collar look. Zakowska also creating great costumes for the Murder daughters while the costumes that Kate Winslet wears including a read leathery dress is hot to complement her character. Sound designer Tod A. Maitland and editor Eliza Paley do great work with the location sounds and mixing for some of the musical sequences and such. Choreographer Tricia Brouk does great work for many of the film's choreography in the dance sequences that are theatrical as well as natural while Margie Gillis does an amazing dance sequence for a scene with Christopher Walken and Cady Huffman to the tune of Tom Jones' Delilah.

The music supervised by Chris Robertson is filled with songs by Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Bruce Springsteen, and others ranging from 1950s doo-wop music and 60s pop with the actors singing along to various songs as if people do that in real life. With three versions of Piece Of My Heart by Dusty Springfield, Janis Joplin, and Erma Franklin with Susan Sarandon singing along to one of them. The soundtrack includes Mandy Moore singing I Want Candy with other dance sequences to the music of Buena Vista Social Club for the fiery dance scene with Kate Winslet and another Winslet dance number to the tune of Vicky Carr's It Must Be Him. Other music by James Brown, Connie Francis, and Ute Lemper round out the soundtrack while James Gandolfini and Susan Sarandon do a quiet yet wonderful duet of The Girl I Marry.

The casting by Todd Thaler is excellent with John Turturro and real-life wife Katherine Borowitz serving their roles as dancers in one of the film's sequences. John's son Diego makes an appearance as a boy on a tricycle along with Diego's older brother Amedeo as a friend of Fryburg and John's mother Katherine as a choir singer. Yianni Digaletos plays a Greek lover of Bo's wife while Tonya Pinkins as a medic and P.J. Brown as a police officer each have a memorable moment as they also get a chance to sing. Tony Goldwyn makes an appearance as an old lover of Kitty. Kumar Pallana, known for his work with Wes Anderson, is great in a memorable appearance as a flower-card shop owner. Broadway star Cady Huffman is excellent as Bo's cheating wife while Adam LaFarve is good as a loudmouth neighbor. Amy Sedaris is funny as a loudmouth neighbor who likes to badmouth the Murder family. David Thornton is also good in his small role as a doctor Elaine Stritch is very good and funny as Nicky's mother who reveals some shocking stories.

British comedian Eddie Izzard is good as a preacher who brings guidance to Kitty in a wonderful musical sequence to Piece Of My Heart while Barbara Sukowa is funny as Fryburg's mother Gracie who pines for the first love of her life that she hopes return. Steve Buscemi is funny as Nicky's friend Angelo who brings some strange advice while giving his view on infidelity. Bobby Cannavale is great as Fryburg, a guy with a Teddy Bear hairdo who is filled with lots of charms and insults as he's a guy who isn't very smart but loveable. THE GREAT Christopher Walken is amazing as Bo, an oddball cousin who reveals the flaw of men while dealing with his own heartbreak as he helps out his cousin. Walken has scenes where it's clear, he's a natural to the musical sequences as he's having fun and just stealing some moments when he's dancing and singing along to Tom Jones' Delilah.

Aida Turturro, Mary-Louise Parker, and Mandy Moore are great as the three daughters who revolt against their father. Turturro gets to be the more talkative of the trio with Parker being the quiet yet more musical trio of the daughter. Moore gets more to do as her character deals with the idea of marriage while proving she can sing rock. Susan Sarandon is great as Kitty, the scorned woman trying to find the mistress while pondering on why she fell in love with Nicky. Kate Winslet is brilliant as Tula, the fiery Scottish woman that is very sexy and a presence that is dynamic. Sporting a Scottish brogue, Winslet's performance is truly sensational as she just commands every scene she's in along with her dance sequence making her completely bonafide. James Gandolfini is excellent as Nicky Murder, a man trying to ponder his role while seeing whether he should go to his mistress or try to get forgiveness from his wife. It's a performance from Gandolfini that isn't seen much yet proves that he's a solid actor outside of his work from The Sopranos.

While it's not a great film, Romance & Cigarettes is still a very good film that has a lot of redeeming qualities and musical numbers under the vision of John Turturro. Thanks to a great cast and amazing musical numbers, it's a film that is entertaining despite its flaws. This film had the unfortunate of going through distributions problems when in 2006, United Artists and MGM was bought by Sony which led to a legal mess forcing Turturro to distribute the film himself to a small audience. This is a film that should be seen for anyone that likes musicals or romantic comedies as in the end, Romance & Cigarettes is a film that's worth your time in its entertainment factor thanks to the vision of John Turturro.

(C) thevoid99 2011

Snow Angels

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/15/09.

With three acclaimed films to his credit by 2007, David Gordon Green is considered to be one of American cinema's most promising young directors. Since his 2000 landmark debut film George Washington, Green's dream-like yet harrowing portrait of life in the American South has earned him praised from critics, notably Roger Ebert. Compared in some respects to the legendary yet elusive Terrence Malick, Green followed up his debut with 2003's romantic-drama All the Real Girls and 2004's thriller Undertow in which the latter was co-produced by Malick. After an attempt to get an adaption of the legendary John Kennedy Toole classic novel A Confederacy of Dunces with help from Steven Soderbergh as one of the screenwriters failed to get off the ground. Green took a break to plan several projects before taking on an adaptation of Stewart O'Nan's small-town drama Snow Angels.

A multi-layered story about young teenager dealing with the disintegration of his parents marriage as well as a long-standing crush with a former babysitter who is currently having relationship problems with her ex-husband. When the woman and her ex-husband starts to boil over due to an affair, the young man suddenly finds himself falling for a quirky young high school girl as a small town begins to lose its innocence. Written for the screen and directed by David Gordon Green, Snow Angels marks as a huge departure for the director as he moves North to create an enchanting yet eerie tale of small town life that is close to his own small town world in the South. With an all-star cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, Nicky Katt, Olivia Thirlby, Jeanetta Arnette, Amy Sedaris, Tom Noonan, and Griffin Dunne. Snow Angels is an enchanting yet harrowing drama from David Gordon Green.

Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano) is a high school teenager dealing with new changes in his life. His parents Don (Griffin Dunne) and Louise (Jeanetta Arnette) are splitting up as Arthur tries to cope with it with school work and marching band practice. Around the same time, Arthur works as a bus boy at a local Chinese restaurant with his former babysitter Annie (Kate Beckinsale) whom he's had a crush on. Annie is dealing with her own problems raising her four-year old daughter Tara (Gracie Hudson) by herself while her ex-husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) has become a Born-again Christian and just landing a job selling carpets. Though Glenn does get to see Tara from time to time, he hopes to have Annie back in his life while maintaining his own sobriety. It's around the same time Arthur befriends a new student in the nerdy yet charismatic Lila (Olivia Thirlby).

With Glenn starting to get things in order, Annie has an affair with a cop named Nate (Nicky Katt) who is married to Annie's friend Barb (Amy Sedaris) who also works with her as a waitress at the Chinese restaurant. The affair becomes secretive for awhile until Glenn starts to suspect something as Barb also finds out. With Annie stressed out in her own life while trying to raise Tara, Glenn starts to confront Annie and Nate over this affair as trouble starts to brew. Arthur meanwhile, learns that his dad is seeing someone as he starts to get close with Lila whom he's becoming attracted to. Then one day, a sick Annie is at home with a cold when her daughter is suddenly gone. Turning to Barb for help, a whole town tries to find something. What happens would change things forcing Glenn to become insane while a distraught, angry Arthur leans closer towards Lila. Then comes a day when the lives of an entire town would change forever.

The film is about disconnection and connections into the lives of various individuals in a small, Northern town in America. While small-town life isn't new to what screenwriter/director David Gordon Green has explored. The location and setting is very different from his three previous films as he goes into the north during a winter season. While Green's script definitely delves into the lives of the three main individuals of Arthur, Glenn, and Annie. He does create a faithful version of Stewart O'Nan's novel though the story overall is uneven. While there's enough work that's put into the coming-of-age story of Arthur, it's overshadowed by the drama of Glenn and Annie which reaches tragic proportions. Yet, it's setting and study of characters is what definitely attracted Green to this story as he puts enough attention towards major characters and supporting ones as he delves into a small town setting.

Green's direction is truly majestic in its setting though the film is shot mostly in Canada. Green's rich compositions and dramatic staging is what keeps this film compelling as he goes deep into the drama but knows when to pull away. While there's not much humor, Green knows when to use it when it's necessary. The drama is more theatrical in its performance but Green knows when to have his actors not delve into melodrama or high theatrics. It's all restrained except in parts for high drama as he knows when to place his camera to capture all that is going on. Even in getting shots from a character's perspective or a scenery that is enchanting with shots of nature that is reminiscent of the work of his mentor Terrence Malick. Overall, Green's direction shows a maturity in the young director who takes some of his old tricks and refine them for better dramatic effect.

Green's longtime cinematographer Tim Orr does brilliant work with the usage of snow and sunlight for the film's exterior, daytime scenes. Orr's photography maintains the richness that Green wanted for the film as there's a beauty to the look of small town life. Even the nighttime exteriors are well shot with low-lights and an intimacy for the drama with a beautiful shot one of the film's final scenes involving falling snow and a football field. Orr's camera work in the interiors is intimate as in a couple of bar scenes, it's low-lit to emphasize the dark mood of one of its major characters. The overall work of Tim Orr is truly phenomenal as he's one of the best young cinematographers working in the field.

Editor William M. Anderson does excellent work with the film's stylish editing with the use of fade-outs, jump-cuts, and rhythmic cutting to create transitions that seems abrupt yet energetic for the story. Green's longtime production designer Richard A. Wright, along with set decorator Ian Greig and art director Terry Quennell, does some fine work with the look of the high schools, Annie's home, and other locations that has a nice, quaint small-town feel. Costume designer Kate Rose does good work with the costumes in creating casual clothing for the actors with Olivia Thirlby's Lila character standing out the most with a yellow coat and hat along with cat-like glasses to create a unique look for her. Sound editor Larry Blake does brilliant work with the sound in capturing the quaint feel of the small town with layering of noises as well as the sounds of instruments and such for the film. Notably its opening sequence with the thundering sounds that would set the film's dramatic tone in place.

Green's longtime music composer David Wingo along with Jeff McIlwain brings a quiet yet plaintive score with acoustic guitars and ambient textures to play to the film's somber, small-town feel. The soundtrack consists of material ranging from blues to country with songs by Gene Autry, Shane Hartman, Tony Berg, Josh Crocker, Benji Hughes, indie-rock stalwarts Explosions in the Sky, and a soft-rock song from Bread. Another song that is used for humor and dramatic effect is Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer which is performed by a marching band.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, Paul Schnee, and Suzanne Smith is wonderfully assembled for its usage of big and small characters. Memorable small roles include Connor Paolo as Arthur's friend Warren, Deborah Allen as Annie's mom, Brian Downey and Carroll Godsman as Glenn's parents, Leah Ostry as Lila's sister, Daniel Lillford as Glenn's boss, Lita Llewellyn as a cop, Hugh Thompson as a police investigator, Angela Vemeir as Don's new girlfriend, and Tom Noonan in a funny role as the band leader. Gracie Hudson is good as Glenn and Annie's wild, energetic 4-year old girl Tara while Jeanetta Arnette is excellent as Arthur's mother Louise who is trying to deal with the split from her husband. Griffin Dunne is very good as Arthur's dad Don, a man confused about his role while trying to communicate with Arthur about the flaws of being a man.

Amy Sedaris is great as Barb, Annie's friend and co-worker who feels betrayed when she learns that her husband Nate is having an affair with Annie only to realize something more troubling. Nicky Katt is very good as Nate, a womanizer who is bored by his own marriage while his affair with Annie is also running out of steam. Olivia Thirlby is wonderful as Lila, the girl who would be a shining light to Arthur. Thirlby, known to audiences for her role as the best friend in Juno, is full of charm and wit while displaying an innocence to her that is insatiable to watch. Michael Angarano is excellent as Arthur, the young teen dealing with all that's going on around him as he comes of age in finding his first girlfriend and coping with the stuff that goes on his own. Angarano's performance is very realistic in the hang-ups of being a teenager while he has great chemistry with both Olivia Thirlby and Kate Beckinsale.

Kate Beckinsale, whose acting career in recent years has been spotty with action films and light drama, gives a performance that is describe as a return to form of sorts following her mid-90s breakout period. Stripping away the glamour for something more realistic and homegrown, Beckinsale's role as a stressed-out mother dealing with her child while juggling an affair and the presence of her ex-husband shows Beckinsale in playing a character that is realistic but also flawed. Along with a legitimate American accent, the British beauty displays grace and despair into her role as it's a phenomenal role for the actress. Finally, there's Sam Rockwell in a tour-de-force performance as Glenn. A man who is trying to improve himself though is often forgetful and pushy. Rockwell has some great scenes with Beckinsale as he displays a man who loses control while convinced he's doing what God asks him to do. It's a brilliant role for the actor who always gives a lot into his roles whether it's doing humor or drama as he's one of the best actors of his generation.

While it doesn't have the dreamy quality of George Washington, the romanticism of All the Real Girls, or the flat-out humor and entertainment factor of 2008's Pineapple Express. Snow Angels is still a harrowing yet intriguing drama from David Gordon Green featuring a superb ensemble led by Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, and Olivia Thirlby. Fans of Green's films will enjoy the richness and intimate small-town setting he creates while seeing that the Southern director is becoming more mature in his work. In the end, Snow Angels is an entrancing, dark, yet touching drama from David Gordon Green.

David Gordon Green Films: George Washington - All the Real Girls - Undertow - Pineapple Express - (Your Highness) - (The Sitter) - (Prince Avalanche) - Joe (2013 film) - (Manglehorn) - (Our Brand is Crisis) - (Stronger (2017 film)) - Halloween (2018 film) - (Halloween Kills) - (Halloween Ends)

© thevoid99 2011