R, 1HR., 55 MINS

Jon Favreau who is known for box office hits like Elf and the Iron Man franchise, directs and stars in Chef, a movie that at its heart is about rediscovering one’s passion. Favreau appears alongside a star-studded cast that includes Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman.

After a viral meltdown at a popular food critic, Carl Casper (Favreau) loses his job as a chef in a high-end Los Angeles restaurant. An unemployed Casper then accompanies his ex-wife, Inez (Vergara) and young son Percy to their hometown of Miami. After years of suppressing his culinary creativity, Inez suggests Casper open a food truck and make dishes he can finally be proud of. With help from his best friend and former co-worker, Martin (Leguizamo), Casper embarks on a road trip from Miami back to California selling Cuban sandwiches along the way. The independent comedy has parallels to its director’s career, but the parallels give an elevated element of compassion to the story of a man rediscovering his thirst for life.