Culture
Now Playing: ‘Tony’ serves up a robust and satisfying biopic of a famous chef
By: Gordon Briggs
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I can’t tell you how many boring biopics I’ve seen in recent years. Most of them are so focused on glorifying their subjects that they never come across as anything but predictable. One of my consistent gripes is the ones that try to cover their subjects’ entire life in just two hours. Rather than trying to encapsulate someone’s whole life within a reasonable runtime, I prefer a movie focused on one specific yet impactful time in their subject’s life.
Set in 1975, we follow 19-year-old wannabe writer, Anthony Bourdain (a thoroughly engaging Dominic Sessa), as he stumbles into the chaotic world of a local Cape Cod restaurant kitchen. At first, young Tony has no intention of working in food service and only wants to work there until he can start writing, but as the summer continues, he exchanges one dream for another, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life.
Firstly, I love how in this story Anthony Bourdain has no interest in being a chef. So many biopics make their ‘subjects’ future occupations feel inevitable. Still, here Tony comes across as a cocky, exhausting young lout who acts like a know-it-all while masking deep personal baggage. Somehow, making him a little unlikable also makes him more relatable. I particularly like the scenes where we see Tony actually lying about his writing credits and trying to convince friends and a potential love interest that he’s only taking this job to write a book.
Secondly, I enjoyed the film’s beachside setting, which is almost a character in itself. Offering the ideal location for a young man’s coming-of-age story, the film’s coastal setting of Provincetown, Massachusetts, with its vibrant nightlife, house parties, and seafood restaurants felt refreshingly unglamorous. I especially liked how the film contrasts the beachside setting’s vast openness with the cramped, hot, chaotic bustle of the kitchen Tony ends up working in.
For instance, one of the highlights of the movie is when Tony and his fellow cooks must hop on a boat for a nighttime crab hunt. Of course, the heart of this movie is in the unusual mentor-student relationship between Tony and a veteran chef played memorably by Antonio Banderas.
The scenes between them don’t have the usual inspirational teacher/student dynamic. For instance, Banderas wakes Tony up every morning by throwing a bucket of cold water on him. Rather, his guidance is disciplined and slightly paternal, helping Tony replace his arrogance with real self-control and a genuine love for the kitchen. ★★★ 1/2