I finally got to watch Chef!

... and it made me wonder if chefs in general are really this needy and insecure as if their talents and abilities hang on every word a food critic writes about them. I can hear everyone even remotely connected to the culinary world yelling out a resounding "Yeah!" Well, if this is really the case, then the main character's public outburst when he had to have it out with the food critic, which I thought was the lowest point in the film--not just the main character's life--is not so far fetch. I guess it also makes for a good story--the ultimate low before he breaks loose of the shackles of the restaurant menu that he was required to cook every night. It's just that the insecurity got way too much it made the film borderline cheesy and pathetic--the kind that might cause the viewer to give up on it before the story even got going.


If this hadn't been a movie I had been eyeing since it first came out and I saw the poster outside a small movie theater in DUMBO, I may have given up and looked for another movie to watch. As it turned out though, the outburst in the restaurant was actually a key part of the story as the chef and the critic ended up meeting up again for a better outcome in the end. However, I don't know if I'd had him do the outburst the way he did it. But that's me. I don't think I'd handle any situation in such a manner. But perhaps I don't really get their level of passion. Just like I don't get why there's apparently so much screaming and foul language in professional kitchens or why contestants in cooking shows act like desperate housewives or even why so many chefs have tattoos.

I understand the artistry, the passion, the perfectionism. Perhaps I don't get the level of commitment, which apparently drives such irrational behavior. To put it in my terms, I love writing, but if someone criticizes my work, I might take offence, but in the end, who cares. I would consider the criticism, make a decision, and move on. Maybe my passion for writing is not at the same level, and perhaps the scene makes perfect sense and not at all embarassing among chefs because they totally get it. In any case, I would say don't rush to watch the movie if you have limited downtime, but keep it in your list of must-sees.

Despite the above-mentioned scene, the movie is worth watching. There's the happy ending, the road trip the chef took with his son that did wonders to their relationship, the Cubano sandwiches, the references to social media, which made the film current--although apparently it was shot before phones had cameras on the front side. Besides, it drew a tear or two out of me at the end. His reminiscing about the trip with his son and the decision he was making as they reached a crossroads in their relationship--now that felt real.

I also liked that it had a familiar cast (John Liguisamo, Scarlett Johanssen, Dustin Hoffman!, and a couple others I'm not too familiar with), that the characters became more and more relatable as the story progressed (Maybe I'm just into road trips and Cubano sandwiches), that the main character stood up for himself and that it's a story about succeeding in something you're passionate about. There's still the part where I thought he let his passion get the better of him, but hey, if I can cringe through that part and keep going, you can, too.

That's my humble take on Chef.