A
man returning to his love, a father getting to know his son, a sweet,
leisurely told story, the power of social media, a road trip, mouth
watering food, an excellent child actor along with a first class cast
equals a film that should get your attention.

“Chef” is a
touching film that really should be seen without expectations and will
having you walking out of the theatre with a smile on your face and
might even cause out loud laughter at points along with, possibly, a
tear here and there because of the tenderness between father and son.

Jon
Favreau stars as the chef and father , wrote the screenplay and
directed the high wattage cast, who quits his job when his boss, Dustin
Hoffman, tells him to cook and serve the menu as is not what he wants to
cook to get even with a food blogger, Oliver Platt, who writes a
scathing review of him and his cooking. With some prodding from his ex,
Sofia Vergara,  rich (not really clear how she got rich or what she does
for a living) wife who is also the ex of Robert Downey, Jr. 

Favreau
and Vergara share custody of a son, played by Emjay Anthony, without a
self conscious bone in his body, who happens to be a whiz at, and with,
the social media from posting videos to getting attention by tweeting
and has to teach his father how thinks work.

There is no spoiler
in saying that the chef buys and remakes a food truck with the help of
former co-worker, played by John Leguizamo, though another co-worker,
Bobby Cannavale, stays at the restaurant taking over the chef’s job.
Scarlett Johansson, as the hostess of Hoffman’s restaurant and a
sometime lover of Favreau, with Amy Sedaris as a publicist, add some
unnecessary spice to the film. (Heck when you are the star, writer and
director of the film why not have Vergara and Johansson as lovers?!)

Favreau’s
relationship with Anthony is believable and just on this side of being
too sweet. Adding to this the father’s search for who he really is also
realistic.

“Chef” is not an award winning movie that is a must
see but in this season of loud, special effects, comic book movies, it
certainly is worth seeing even, as with most movies today, if it is
about 10-15 minutes too long at 115 minutes. By the way there is a dare
you to stay still in your seat soundtrack!