If you love food and movies, then you will ADORE Jon Favreau’s, Chef.

Jon Favreau is the Chef, and takes both his son along for the ride and Jon Leguizamo, his sous chef.

They don’t make movies like Chef anymore. Simple, special effects-free movies, with great acting and excellent character development don’t come knocking on doors often, but when they do, embrace them. I fell in love with the movies all over again.

This movie, like the writing of a great novel, doesn’t just tell, but SHOWS you a beautiful story, and in such a funny, sweet, endearing way. We fall in love not only with the main character the Chef, but also with the supporting characters, and even the families of the supporting characters. This is a rich movie in every sense of the word and we haven’t even talked about the chocolate lava cake that the Chef prepares for the visiting food critique!

If you’re a foodie, you will appreciate the attention to food detail found in this movie. The chopping of onions, the hours of preparation before the guests arrive, the bureaucracy and stress of the restaurant kitchen, latin food, french food, italian food,  the love of food, it’s all there! Is the life of a chef glamorous? Far from it. But one thing’s for certain, you will leave the theater with a fever to cook some delicious food!

One movie highlight that deserves mention is the father-son relationship developed between Jon Favereau, the Chef and Emjay Anthony who plays the Chef’s son.  Unlike other child actors in movies and on TV who play it safe and superficial, this child actor does an outstanding job being vulnerable. The Chef invites his son to spend the summer with him working on his food truck, and after working long hours, traveling from city to city, preparing and selling food, the two of them grow closer and form an amazing, authentic bond. The father-son bond in Chef is one of the most genuine relationships I’ve ever seen developed in any movie.

Chef is a celebration of food, and it’s an honest character study. Great acting, great story. Loved Chef!

If you love food and love movies, you will adore Chef!