Chef (2014)

Chef is a new independent comedy-drama starring, written and directed by Jon Favreau, taking a break from directing blockbuster superhero movies with Robert Downey Jr (Downey Jr. has a cameo in this film, incidentally).

In a nutshell: a divorced LA chef quits his job in a restaurant and starts a food truck, all the while teaching his young son some lessons along the way. The kid also teaches his dad a thing or two.

Now, if you're think you'll like a movie with LOTS of cooking and eating, go see this movie. I was very glad I ate before the movie!

Favreau as the lead took me some getting used to. He's played an obnoxious guy  in everything I've seen him in (Swingers, Four Christmases) and he plays a similar character in this, hot tempered and all. But when he made that grilled cheese sandwich for his son, I was charmed.

I was surprised to see some big name stars in the cast. Dustin Hoffman plays the restaurant boss. Scar-Jo (Scarlett Johansson) is in it, too as the restaurant host.  The ex-wife is played by Sofia Veranga, who is good in her part. And I haven't seen John Leguizamo so good in a film since the mid '90s.

The father-son relationship is a big part of the movie. They have some some quality bonding time in a cross-country trek, as the truck makes stops in Miami, New Orleans, and Austin. The soundtrack is great, and moves the film along nicely.

Reflecting our modern day culture, there are many uses of social media in this movie, more than any film I've seen before. Many of the characters "Tweet", "text", "Facebook", and "YouTube", and even "Vine".  At one point Favreau says to his tech-savvy young son "You're the head of our Marketing team!"

All the Tweeting done in the film is integral to the story, and the way it is presented on screen is unique and clever, and will likely be imitated by others in the future.

This movie is getting good word of mouth, and is now among the "Top 10" hits in the United States this weekend.

Another Year (2010)

I saw this movie the other night. It's great. About a London couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) and the various characters in their life.  Tom (Broadbent) is a geologist who has a few more years before retirement. He enjoys golfing with his friends and gardening with his wife (Sheen) in a communal garden (they are always bringing home vegetables) Both love to cook, so there are a number of scenes where they are cooking for friends and family. In fact, the movie is split into 4 acts divided by the seasons.  There's always a lunch or dinner scene in each act. It's pretty cool.

Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent are a
loving and devoted couple who make time for
family and friends

The couple have a 30-year old son. People are asking whether or not he has a girlfriend. Does he have a secret? Gerry (Sheen), a psychologist, has a co-worker (Leslie Manville) who doesn't have many friends or family, so she's always dropping by their house. She's single, lonely, and enjoys a few drinks. But does he have more serious problems? Director Mike Leigh doesn't let us know the full stories of these characters right away. We must watch the entire film. It's captivating. The characters in this movie are so real; they reminded me of my own family. And the acting seems so natural, even improvised, which is what I love about his movies Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake, and Happy Go Lucky.  Leslie Manville is just incredible in this; she won several awards for her amazing performance, including a BAFTA nomination.

Another Year is a quiet, serious adult drama, delightful and fun at times, and even heartbreaking at times.  I highly recommend it.

I saw this Monday night at the Tivoli Theater, an old-fashioned downtown movie house in Downer's Grove, IL

If you saw the movie Happy Go Lucky, do you remember the flamenco instructor?

Well the actress who plays her has a small role Another Year 

Here is a funny scene from Happy Go Lucky featuring the dance instructor.




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