Tony: Movie Review

Cast: Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall
Director: Matt Johnson

In truth, Nirvanna The Band The Movie star Matt Johnson's film about Anthony Bourdain could be any film about one summer and the coming of age of an arrogant youth, cocksure in life, rather than a tale of the renowned food writer Anthony Bourdain.

And while that's no bad thing in many ways, the idea this is to educate about the culinary star that emerged seems somewhat disingenuous to the film's original intentions of basing a tale on the time Bourdain spent working in Massachussets that formed part of his Kitchen Confidential memoir.

Set in 1975's hazy, lazy American summer, Bourdain (The Holdovers star Sessa, channeling a Bittersweet Symphony's Richard Ashcroft in look, gait and sullen attitude) has convinced everyone - including himself - that he's about to take a scholarship and become a writer.

However, when he doesn't get the gig, he decides to follow his high-school crush Nancy (CODA star Jones) to her summer vacation and attempt to win her over. But when he turns up in Cape Cod and finds she's already seeing someone, he's determined to not let the lie defeat him and by mistake, ends up working in the kitchen run by an unnamed chef (Banderas, superb in the mentor role).

There's a scrappy vibe to Tony that's breezily contagious, despite the film hitting every single genre trope you'd expect. 

Director Matt Johnson delivers little more than a hang-out film that works its easy charms as he stirs the dramatic pot to familiar results. The movie may begin with a Bourdain quote stating how arrogant he was, but it could be anyone's story, any boy looking to follow a dream and his own arrogant self-belief before it comes cascading down in front of them and they face a choice to forge on or seek redemption.

Sessa is eminently watchable as the conceited Bourdain, a boy who's lying to others with ease and almost convincing himself with the lie as well. Hunched over and with a perma-scowl on his face, he's not the easiest of protagonists to love, but Johnson keeps the story just on the right side of the ledger.

It's thanks chiefly to the punkish energy of Tuner star Leo Woodall as sleazy commis chef Sal that the film finds its groove - and its humour - early on in the proceedings and the pair forms a double act that spreads all the joy in the movie's first half. When Sal leaves, the film's energy noticeably dips and it shifts into its second phase, ably led by Banderas' chef who becomes a mentor to Bourdain and also a surrogate father.

The film's content to bubble throughout, simmering and hitting the moments it needs and while it feels like Johnson's not keen to do anything radically different with the story, it does make for a universally themed film that's enjoyable to watch but not one which does much to enhance the Bourdain legacy.

Like any good hangout film, Tony leaves you with a feeling of your own past summers, misadventures and memories of good times with those who come in and out of your life - it's a mellow recipe of comedy and heart that may just catch you off-guard.