Chef
Stream
Rent & Buy
When Chef Carl Casper suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner, he is left to figure out what's next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife, his friend 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.
What critics thought
Favreau's personal, small-scale comedy earns goodwill from most critics for its warm performances and genuinely funny script, though a vocal minority finds the whole enterprise too comfortable with itself — a film about authenticity that feels suspiciously self-serving. The sharpest divide is between those who surrender to its feel-good momentum and those who can't get past its implausible plotting and what they see as Favreau using the screen to flatter himself.
“deliciously entertaining, comic, touching and often bitingly true”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“so charmingly middlebrow that it's exactly the cinematic comfort food it mocks”
Amy Nicholson·The Village Voice
“most self-satisfied, safe, and compromised film to date”
Chris Cabin·Slant Magazine
“the trip itself is never less than pleasant, and often extremely funny”
Joe Leydon·Variety
Genres
Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Jon FavreauDirectorJon FavreauCarl Casper
John LeguizamoMartin
Bobby CannavaleTony
Emjay AnthonyPercy
Scarlett JohanssonMolly
Dustin HoffmanRiva
Sofía VergaraInez
Oliver PlattRamsey Michel
Amy SedarisJen
Robert Downey Jr.Marvin
Russell PetersMiami Cop
Lyle WorkmanComposer
Kramer MorgenthauCinematographyChef
When Chef Carl Casper suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner, he is left to figure out what's next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife, his friend 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.
What critics thought
Favreau's personal, small-scale comedy earns goodwill from most critics for its warm performances and genuinely funny script, though a vocal minority finds the whole enterprise too comfortable with itself — a film about authenticity that feels suspiciously self-serving. The sharpest divide is between those who surrender to its feel-good momentum and those who can't get past its implausible plotting and what they see as Favreau using the screen to flatter himself.
“deliciously entertaining, comic, touching and often bitingly true”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“so charmingly middlebrow that it's exactly the cinematic comfort food it mocks”
Amy Nicholson·The Village Voice
“most self-satisfied, safe, and compromised film to date”
Chris Cabin·Slant Magazine
“the trip itself is never less than pleasant, and often extremely funny”
Joe Leydon·Variety
Genres
Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Jon FavreauDirectorJon FavreauCarl CasperJohn LeguizamoMartinBobby CannavaleTonyEmjay AnthonyPercyScarlett JohanssonMollyDustin HoffmanRivaSofía VergaraInezOliver PlattRamsey MichelAmy SedarisJenRobert Downey Jr.MarvinRussell PetersMiami CopLyle WorkmanComposerKramer MorgenthauCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy