Anthony Bourdain, a renowned chef and Food Network world traveler, had humble beginnings, and the new biopic about “Tony’s” background shows that everyone has to start somewhere. Director Matt Johnson’s film captures a pivotal moment in Anthony’s life, when the teen B.S. artist finds direction and the discipline to keep it. Actor Dominic Senna, who makes an indelible impression in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, does a fantastic job of portraying Bourdain as a young man who lacks drive, but finds his passion in life.
In 1975, 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain (Senna), on a whim, decides to follow a girl he is attracted to to Cape Cod, where she and her friends are spending their summer vacation. Without a definite plan in mind, Tony manages to score a job as a dishwasher at a popular seafood restaurant run by a Chef (Antonio Banderas), who runs a tight ship. Sympathetic to Tony’s situation, he reluctantly hires him and takes him into his home on the condition that Tony shows up to work on time. What follows is a coming-of-age journey where Bourdain finds some direction and purpose for his future.
I absolutely loved this movie. Writer/director Johnson and co-writers Matthew Miller, Todd Bartels, and Lou Howe do such a fantastic job of stripping down the mythology of Anthony Bourdain, and who we have perceived him to be, and remind us that he had to start somewhere. Senna and the filmmakers envision Bourdain as a socially awkward, B.S.-talking teen who has no idea what he really wants to do with his life. After living with his Chef and being forced to take a responsible job, he develops more focus and a sense of the future life he wants.
The strongest things about this film are the writing and the acting. I absolutely loved watching Tony’s journey here, and witnessing him finding his footing on his road to adulthood. Dominic Senna, whom I still applaud for his acting in The Holdovers, delivers another wonderful performance that should get some attention come awards season. I also must praise Antonio Banderas, who is tremendous as Tony’s mentor and boss. I also love the acting of Stavros Halkias and Leo Woodall, who portray Tony’s co-workers.
Tony is truly a remarkable film. It isn’t necessarily a movie that demands the big screen. Still, sometimes it is simply nice to see a great film about real people making life decisions projected on a big screen, especially when it is executed as well as this one.