Let's talk movies! Chef

Last weekend I went to see Chef  at my favorite movie theater.  I feel like the theater is worth mentioning, because it really does add to the overall viewing experience.  I have been going there regularly since high school, Gateway movie theater in Ft. Lauderdale has been only lightly renovated since the 1950's when it was a movie "palace" and only showed one movie compared to the 4 theaters it now has.  They have recently replaced the old rickety seats with big squishy reclining ones, and they have paper towel robots in the restrooms, but those are about the only notable changes.  In a world that focuses on new, new, new; I'll be the first to say that I really enjoy going somewhere that I can count on to be the same.  Deliver the same; rounded bathroom entrances (you'd have to go to understand), tiny ticket booth, and where you can still see the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" at midnight on Saturday nights.  It would be an understatement to say that I thoroughly enjoy this theater, I would say it's my movie watching home. 

But let's talk about "Chef" the movie.  Let me first say that I have worked in restaurants since I was 13 years old, and it is possible that I may have a more skeptical eye (than most) in that department.  Food service and preparation are things that I know.  With that said, overlooking a few items that only food service personnel would recognize, this movie is delightful.  

Carl Casper (John Favreau) is a talented chef who wants to be creative in his kitchen.  His boss/owner of the restaurant he works at (Dustin Hoffman) tries to stifle his creativity by ordering him to cook a tired boring menu.  At the suggestion of his son's mother (Sofia Vergra) he meets up with her ex-husband (Robert Downey Jr.) to discuss trading in the professional kitchen he is used to, for a food truck where he could call all the shots.  His former employee Martin (John Leguizamo) Joins him and helps transform a broken down old taco truck into a restaurant that any chef would be proud of.  In addition to helping his father run his food truck his adorable son Percy (Emjay Anthony) also heads of all the food trucks social media outlets, really making this truck an overnight success.  

The soundtrack in this movie really rocks.  And John Leguizamo really makes this movie believable and even more enjoyable.  I would highly recommend this movie.  

I give it 8 1/2 popcorn bags (out of 10): sweet story line, amazing cast, and dancing inducing soundtrack.