In Tony, the young actor (Dominic Sessa) who plays the 19-year old Anthony Bourdain, doesn't much look like him. He's also a compulsive liar: not only does he tell his parents that he received a prestigious writing fellowship when he didn't, he also lies to the girl he's infatuated with, Nancy (Emilia Jones). When he gets drunk one summer at a Massachusetts bar, he's thrown out, mildly beaten upon pushing back, and ultimately taken in by the wise mentor chef, Jose Vatel (Antonio Banderas).
Part coming of age story, part mini-biography, Tony fluctuates between being a summer romance movie, a comedy of back-kitchen profane ridden etiquette, and maturity of a young man still searching for his life's purpose. I won't lie: the lead actor/character is hardly interesting; in fact, he's flat out unlikable. The real treasure here is Banderas, whose father figure wisdom help shape Tony's outlook on life, even after Tony behaves like an asshole towards him on SEVERAL occasions.
This is a middle of the pack movie, a pleasing, enjoyable slice of life that won't change your life. Yet it will hardly bore you, either.
☆☆☆
No comments:
Post a Comment