Writer/director/actor Jon Favreau is back to his indie movie roots with this sparkling new comedy that he has just completed for less then $10 mil. which evidently is considered pocket money by Hollywood standards these days. However the man who was relatively unknown when he had his breakthrough writing and starring in ‘Swingers’ back in 1996, can now count a lot of ‘A’ list stars amongst his friends and he has peppered them with some perfect cameo roles that make this new movie really so delightful.
The Truck is in a real dilapidated state but after a touch of fairy dust and a hell of a lot of elbow grease, the van is soon shiny just like new. Thanks mainly to the fact his son Percy is there to help, and also his ex-assistant chef Martin, who hearing about the truck, packs in his job in LA and hops on a plane and turns up unannounced in Miami volunteering his services.
They start a dry run making and selling traditional cubano sandwiches on South Beach, before starting a road-trip adventure driving the truck across the country back home to California. It gives Carl a chance to get back to his roots and cook authentic food but more importantly an opportunity to bond with his son Percy for the first time since he left home. Percy’s role is not just as prep chef but also the social media expert of the group and his regular twitter feeds ensure that there are large crowds awaiting them in Austin Texas, New Orleans and all the other colorful stops they make.
This very touching tale about rediscovering oneself and having a second chance has a predictable ending but its the journey that it takes that makes it the real delight that it is. With cameos by a barely unrecognisable Scarlett Johansson as a smouldering sexy Maitre’d, Dustin Hoffman as the grumpy restaurant owner, Oliver Platt as the Critic, Bobby Cannavale as an hilarious insecure Sous Chef, Amy Sedaris as a push P.R., and an hilarious scene-stealing turn by Robert Downey Jnr as Marvin the ex husband. Inez, Carl’s ex wife was played by Sofía Vergara in a quieter version of her ‘Modern Family’ role that she plays for every part she is in, and John Leguizamo was Martin the other chef. However Mr. Downey Jr wasn’t the only performance that totally charmed the audience, as 11 year old ‘veteran’ actor Emjay Anthony was completely enchanting as young Percy.
I had the pleasure of seeing this preview in an invited audience at O Cinema in Miami that included several local celebrity chefs, and we were all overjoyed by the way that Mr Favreau had lovingly portrayed what we unanimous agreed was an authentic view of our city. Not just the famous sights and sounds of Little Havana but even the comic behaviour of the Miami Beach police officer who was insisting that they move the Truck but not before he had his own 5 minutes of fame, which any local here will tell you is sadly very accurate. But also Mr Favreau treated all the cooking scenes with such sheer passion and in great detail that we all left literally drooling and rushing to the nearest restaurant in our Wynwood district.
Sheer joy, and a great perk being able to see this gloriously warm and funny movie before it opens nationwide very soon.
P.S. And the biggest laugh that came from this knowing local bunch was when Inez was trying to explain why none of her household staff couldnt accompany her to Miami …..’you know that they cannot get on a plane’……..
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