I know it isn't Adaptation. Truth be told I have not watched Adaptation yet because I've been quite cheap. I can't find it on the traditional platforms, and obviously I cannot stoop to pirating it. The timing will just have to be right for it I suppose. Today, we're talking about Chef. I'm pushing our Peanut Butter Falcon meeting back because I truly want to spend some time on that one, getting my points in order and truly understanding how I feel about it.

Chef is a heartwarming little film from Jon Favreau, starring himself as chef Carl Casper. It's a small stakes, passionate movie about a man rebuilding his life, and even that description somehow makes it sound more dramatic than it is. It also features prominant supporting performances from Sofia Vergara as his ex-wife Inez, John Leguizamo as his friend and sous-chef Martin, and Emjay Anthony as his son Percy.

So, this evening I finally got around to watching Chef. I'd heard around town from so many people that this comforting movie was not one to look past, but time and time again i put them off. However, yesterday I made a pact to try and watch a new movie at least every other day. I started with Stranger Than Fiction, a tremendous Will Ferrell flick that was a perfect mix of drama and comedy, and then today I found myself on Chef. I know that it was a practically stakes free movie, with no real conflict, but I honestly didn't fully believe it until I started.

Truly, there is a bit of drama for around the first thirty minutes. We open the film following Carl around the kitchen of a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant, owned by the deceptively relaxed Riva, played by Dustin Hoffman. We are quickly introduced to a supporting cast, many of whom you may recognize from roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a series Favreau had a huge part in starting. After that, we are given a basic plotline and "conflict" to follow, and are thrust into the real meat of the movie, Carl's relationship with his son, Percy. It is immediately clear that this is what we should really be focusing on, but as I was first shown them, I worried about the movie falling into the tried and true cliche's of father and son relationships in movies. Those, however, are quickly put to rest as we see the two organically interact, albeit somewhat rigidly, as they are not close. There are no cliche feelings being hurt, there are very real feelings and reactions only.

Had I not had some kind of idea of what I was getting into when I started it, I would have most definitely expected the issues with the critic to eat up the screentime. I would have expected there to be some huge blockbuster redemption for Carl as he starts some small restuarant and goads the critic into coming. Alas, that was not the case. By the time we get to our food truck, the movie moves on and puts that conflict behind it as Carl himself does. It doesn't dwell on this negative, it merely uses it as a tool to tell the story it truly wanted to. Now, obviously it isn't a tremendously complex and nuanced story. But it is very well told. The story of a father and son truly bonding over food. A father introducing his son to his passion, and the son embracing this with open arms.

Let's talk about the food. I had eaten before watching because I knew this would make me crave something truly good if I didn't, but even with a full stomach it still got to me. The cinematography, specifically the food shots, was just outstanding. Some of the best minimalist sort of camera work I've ever seen. And then to find out Favreau actually learned how to cook all of this was just the cherry on top. No sleight of hand and actor swap, just a man who went all out to make this role perfect. It honestly makes me want to really get into cooking some of his dishes, especially that gorgeous grilled cheese.

I believe I've struck a good balance with this one. We touched on the film itself, without going into review territory, and I left out a lot of the major story aspects, so if you haven't seen the movie there is still a reason to. I'm really trying to keep this balance, and I think I struck a bit of metaphorical gold here. Nevertheless, let's hear your thoughts! I'm not really sure what to ask, but I'm genuinely very curious to know what all of you think of this one. No action pieces whatsoever, no super intense method acting, just a fun movie you can put on when you're feeling down. Let's talk about it!