Report Card----"Chef"

"Chef" is your classic "little" movie.
It is amiable, and harmless, and just lopes along for major stretches.
As the title indicates, it is about food.
As such, it is probably more effective if you watch it when you're hungry.
I watched it after dinner, which didn't help.
It is also about the yearning for independence.
It is written, directed and starring Jon Favreau, whose work I've always been partial to.
The problem between Favreau, as the chef, and the food critic, who reviews his restaurant, is similar to the problem between Favreau, the film-maker, and me, as the film critic.
His latest work is simply not up to his earlier work.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Not often.
C-.

Compelling, even?

For a couple of brief moments.
B.

Is it a story worth telling?

I don't think so.
C-.

Is it good storytelling?

The ending, once we get there, is nice. But there is an awful lot of boring before we get there.
C-.

Is it well written?

Not great, not bad.
B.

Is it controversial?

Not at all.
F.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Favreau must have called in a lot of markers on this one.
Dustin Hoffman, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, and Robert Downey Jr. have throwaway parts in this.
They weren't needed.
They must have been doing Favreau a favor. Hoffman was the only one who made an impression.
C+.

Well shot?

Nothing exceptional.
B.

Is it too long? Too short?

The lulls in the action make it feel very long.
C-.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and just barely.
B.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

The very end is surprising and rewarding, and almost redeems the tedium that precedes it.
A-.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Not at all.
C-.

Is it funny?

Occasionally. It could have been funnier.
B-.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

This one is pure HBO.
F.

Is it impressive ?

Not hardly at all.
C-.

Overall grade: C.

Go back and watch "Swingers"


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My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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