Le Chef (2012) - (M)
Tony Saad - Thursday, 16 May, 2019
(STAR), (STAR), (STAR)
Don't we love it when a foul-mouthed perfectionist chef meets a low class but talented nobody? Le Chef by Daniel Cohen is exactly that with a pinch of jokes only mature audiences can understand. At the end of the day though, it's obvious that Favreau tries a little too hard, and some moments were as unoriginal as a potato chip. Nevertheless, I had a good laugh and the food looks delicious as well.
Le Chef follows Jacky Bonnot (Michaël Youn), a talented culinary underdog who cannot hold a single job for long. When his wife Beatrice (Raphaëlle Agogué) becomes pregnant, he scrambles to find a solution. Everything changes when he meets 3-Michelin star chef Alexandre Lagarde (Jean Reno), who is struggling with stagnating critical reviews and a fractured relationship with his daughter Amandine (Salomé Stévenin).
The premise is not a new one. I've seen it many times before, but for the sake of historical chronology, I will not be too harsh. Le Chef's plot is quite shallow, and it does not offer anything new or remarkable. And while the story and the stakes do jive together, they do not necessarily push film up the ranks. Jacky is a very cute character, who has constantly been bringing smiles to my face every time I see him. Jean Reno is bombastic and as thick-skinned as his huge belly. The chemistry between the two is perhaps the saving grace of this film.
But in my opinion, the film succeeded mainly because of Daniel Cohen's humour. It relied on jokes, insults and generally being free-spirited rather than being physical. I must admit, French comedy is certainly the best, and today there are more french comedians than there were 10 years ago. Le Chef never takes itself seriously, and only exists for good laughs. Nothing more, but that's not the killing sin in film theory.
No culinary film is ever made without food. Reno's character is a true artist; his dishes are definitively worth the shot. I did pity him, as I am no fan of contemporary cuisine. Of course, he did learn a valuable life lesson that changed him and his cooking.
Le Chef may be thin and unoriginal, but it is a comedy worth seeing. It is not exactly the best buddy film in the world -I've seen better myself- but Cohen is a creative and entertaining director, and I left the theatre with a smile.
© Le Chef Film Review, 2019. This film review was produced for the purpose of copyrights in the Lebanese Republic and the Commonwealth of Australia. All Rights Reserved.
(STAR), (STAR), (STAR)
Don't we love it when a foul-mouthed perfectionist chef meets a low class but talented nobody? Le Chef by Daniel Cohen is exactly that with a pinch of jokes only mature audiences can understand. At the end of the day though, it's obvious that Favreau tries a little too hard, and some moments were as unoriginal as a potato chip. Nevertheless, I had a good laugh and the food looks delicious as well.
Le Chef follows Jacky Bonnot (Michaël Youn), a talented culinary underdog who cannot hold a single job for long. When his wife Beatrice (Raphaëlle Agogué) becomes pregnant, he scrambles to find a solution. Everything changes when he meets 3-Michelin star chef Alexandre Lagarde (Jean Reno), who is struggling with stagnating critical reviews and a fractured relationship with his daughter Amandine (Salomé Stévenin).
The premise is not a new one. I've seen it many times before, but for the sake of historical chronology, I will not be too harsh. Le Chef's plot is quite shallow, and it does not offer anything new or remarkable. And while the story and the stakes do jive together, they do not necessarily push film up the ranks. Jacky is a very cute character, who has constantly been bringing smiles to my face every time I see him. Jean Reno is bombastic and as thick-skinned as his huge belly. The chemistry between the two is perhaps the saving grace of this film.
But in my opinion, the film succeeded mainly because of Daniel Cohen's humour. It relied on jokes, insults and generally being free-spirited rather than being physical. I must admit, French comedy is certainly the best, and today there are more french comedians than there were 10 years ago. Le Chef never takes itself seriously, and only exists for good laughs. Nothing more, but that's not the killing sin in film theory.
No culinary film is ever made without food. Reno's character is a true artist; his dishes are definitively worth the shot. I did pity him, as I am no fan of contemporary cuisine. Of course, he did learn a valuable life lesson that changed him and his cooking.
Le Chef may be thin and unoriginal, but it is a comedy worth seeing. It is not exactly the best buddy film in the world -I've seen better myself- but Cohen is a creative and entertaining director, and I left the theatre with a smile.
© Le Chef Film Review, 2019. This film review was produced for the purpose of copyrights in the Lebanese Republic and the Commonwealth of Australia. All Rights Reserved.