It's been a while since Jon Favreau has put out a feature film (2011's COWBOYS AND ALIENS being his most recent) and it appers the filmmaker is taking a step back to his independent days with CHEF, a cuisine comedy that is written, directed, and starring the Favs, as well as a few IRON MAN 2 alumni, Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, as well as John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Bobby Cannavale, Oliver Platt, Amy Sedaris, and Dustin Hoffman. It's a fun, lively, and "easy on the palate."
Get hungry:
Here's the synopsis:
When 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.
My first introduction to Favreau, like many of you, was with 1996's SWINGERS and since that time he's become a well-respected presence in Hollywood. He helped bring the Marvel franchise machine to life (as well as Robert Downey Jr.'s career) with IRON MAN and while some of his later big-budget efforts didn't take off as expected, he's no less a talented individual. Personally, I'm happy to see him back doing the comedy thing as I always felt he had a better knack for it. I'd love to see him balance the scales with more flicks like this, while tackling a big-budget pic every so often.
CHEF hits theaters on May 9, 2014.