Ryan McNeil
For creative people, there are few things harder than facing criticism and rejection. Even if the points are valid, the failure or negativity is something that can throw the artist for a loop. It’s not just that the work is being rejected – it feels like something of themselves has been rejected. So what to do when a dart of criticism is thrown an artist’s way? If this new film from director Jon Favreau is to be our guide, the answer is to go back to basics…which might not be such a bad idea.
CHEF is the story of Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau). As the film opens, his Los Angeles restaurant is preparing for a visit from a very influential food critic named Ramsay Michel (Oliver Platt). While Casper is hopeful he can impress the critic with a bold menu drawn up special for the night, the owner of the restaurant (Dustin Hoffman) thinks otherwise. He believes that a moment of truth like this is no time to gamble, and twists Casper’s arm into preparing a safe menu. He begrudgingly relents, and the safe choices land him a negative review laden with personal attack.
That night, while spending time with his son (Emjay Anthony), Casper is introduced to the world of social media. He sends Michel what he believes is a personal message, but is in fact a public tweet, and a public flame-war is sparked. Unfortunately, before he can prove his mettle, the restauranteur takes the ball from his hands. Michel takes another public swipe at Casper, which leads to a public confrontation between the two…and a meltdown of epic proportions.
Suddenly on the outs with everyone except his son, ex-wife (Sofía Vergara), and former sous-chef Martin, Casper has to go back to the drawing board. The drawing board, in his case, is to take his act to a food truck and reconnect with the joy of cooking that made people so happy in the first place.
In my limited-but-passionate experience in the kitchen, I’ve learned that most dishes will take a few tries to get just right. For most of us, the first few tries are missing a little something. They are too overcooked, undercooked, or built in a way that doesn’t allow the flavours to come together quite right. The good news is that being a good cook involves (as someone once told me) being one part poet and one part liar. So if the fibs aren’t bringing the flavours together, a few more passes with an increase in poetry oughta get the desired result.
The reason I bring this up is because CHEF isn’t quite the gourmet dish it could be…perhaps not even the one it wants to be. But one more pass…a little more lying or a little more poetry…and I’d be singing a different tune.
To be clear, I say that now because I want to get it out of the way as my one and only criticism of Jon Favreau’s love letter to creativity. It’s the only negative thing I can say about the film – that it isn’t perfect. And you know what? If you miss perfection, but still wind up with something wonderful, there is no reason to hang your head. Nobody involved with CHEF should be hanging their head one bit, because the film is indeed something wonderful.
This is an ode first and foremost to creating. To be an artist – be they carpenters, chefs, graphic designers, or so many other callings that make this world a better place – requires a great deal of vulnerability and passion. It requires people to be risk-takers and try new things, then to hand those risks and novelties over to a fickle class of consumer and hope that their creation is appreciated. It might be, it might not be – and the decision might not have anything to do withe whether or not the work is “good”. To put this much of one’s soul into one’s work, they have to truly love it. It has to be something they would do even if they weren’t being paid, something that beats within their heart. It’s rare to find that in the world, which is why I have so much respect and admiration for artists that have the stones to share that part of themselves.
This film is likewise a hard look at criticism. The saying, of course, is that everyone is a critic – and that’s especially true in The Information Age (guilty!). Critics have taken a strange turn in the times we live in, because their criticism can go so much further with so much less information or understanding. The criticism levelled – at anything, but especially at artists – risks so little, and often seems designed to prove a superior position. The truth is, that while some criticism can carry valuable opportunity to grow as a creator, most of what passes for criticism these days is snide sarcasm.
It’s possible that Carl’s meltdown in the face of harsh criticism in CHEF is a vessel for Favreau to fire back at his own critics. If that’s the case, he has every right, and it’s a charge that every critic should sit up and listen to. His point isn’t to suggest that critics are bad or even that critics are worthless – just that critics need to understand the weight their words carry.
Artists risk their sense of inspiration and creative spirit; Critics risk a mild degree of clout.
A film that was only dedicated to this curious push-pull would be engaging enough, but CHEF goes much further and fills the story with a deep love for food. Not content to merely talk about the joy of cooking, CHEF fills shot after shot with enough culinary creativity to make our mouths water. So much careful attention has been paid to the role of food in Carl’s life, and the way it has forged his relationships all around. He has dedicated his life to something that makes everyone around him so happy, and in that he has found his calling.
Carl – and by extension, Favreau – understands the bonding and community inherent in food. It is one of the few things in life that carries with it history, togetherness, inventiveness, and love. It is something so many of us do, but so few raise to an art form. CHEF celebrates cooking for the glorious art that it is, and in so doing, offers up something that is almost beyond critique.
That was really nice of you to say, that artists make the world a better place! I also suddenly became inspired to cook a lot, cook well, and appreciate food. What a lovely thing that dinner’s almost ready!
The issue of criticism is a sad one, but at least I can feel happy in the thought that our film blog community is, generally, filled with people who are here to share their love, not bitterly snap at film-makers and actors. Really looking forward to seeing this film! Thanks for sharing, Ryan.
I believe that deeply. Next time you’re bored, YouTube Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar speech from the spring of 2001. He says what I feel more succintly than I ever could.
I’m not above negative criticism, so long as it comes from a place of respect and analysis. Too often though, it seems to be about ego, and that’s not healthy for discussion.
Damn, thinking about CHEF has made me hungry again and I already finished my breakfast…
I saw the film on Sunday and all it did was make me hungry for all of that food and take a trip to New Orleans only for the beignets. I miss eating those. The film inspired me to do something different today as I often eggs on Tuesdays and Fridays as I decided to make an omlette with ham, swiss and cheddar cheese, and black pepper. It wasn’t perfect but it was different at least. I’m trying to convince my parents to see it not just for the food but for the music.
I get the feeling that parents would love this movie. I’ve suggested my own go and hunt it down, considering how important food is to them.
I’m like you by the way – every time I see something like this, it makes me want to get just that little more creative when I cook. I’m already wondering what I might do differently with dinner tonight!