“How close is too close to home? That has to be the question going through the mind of anyone familiar with the last decade of Jon Favreau’s career while watching his latest film, Chef,” we said in our review out of SXSW. “Smartly made and richly told, the film follows the life of a chef that is miserable working for someone else making the ‘greatest hits,’ and finds solace, freedom, and he ability to express himself again through the independence of running his own food truck.”
Referential to Favreau’s own career arc, the helmer went from small independent films (Swingers, Made) to graduating higher (Elf, Zathura) until shepherding a major blockbuster franchise (Iron Man) and crash landing soon after (Iron Man 2, Cowboys & Aliens). We added, “He’s found out that while having someone else’s unlimited payroll has its benefits, it also means the dynamic is thrown off in a creative world. With his latest work, it’s food, but it’s no less artistic.”
We’ve now got the first entertaining trailer for the film, which will drop early next month amidst the summer season. One can see it below, along with the poster, for the film also starring Favreau himself, along with Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, Emjay Anthony, Scarlett Johansson, and Robert Downey, Jr.
Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), his friend (John Leguizamo) and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen — and zest for life and love.
Chef hits theaters on May 9th.