MOVIE REVIEW: TONY

 

Nineteen-year-old Anthony Bourdain stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that shapes the course of his life.

Director: Matthew Johnson

Cast: Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones, Dagmara Domińczyk, Rich Sommer, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, Antonio Banderas

Release Date: August 7, 2026

Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama

Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, and sexual content/nudity.

Runtime: 1h 46m

Review:

Tony doesn’t require you to know much about the man at the center of the film which makes it an impressively accessible coming of age tale that never lionize which makes the character onscreen feel all the more real and human.  Matthew Johnson’s film lives and breathes as a portrait of a young man desperately searching for meaning and direction in his life that gives everything an air of authenticity.  He isn’t afraid to show his main character in an unflattering light for large portions of time as he’s shown to be a self-aggrandizing liar who’s most concerned with people being impressed with him.  He fails regularly and makes some horrible decisions along the way that should feel relatable to large portion of people.  Dominic Sessa captures that energy effortlessly as he gives the audience a sense of the character’s unearned superiority which masks an undercurrent of his failures.  His lanky figure and hunched over posture give the audience a sense of his awkwardness and insecurity along with a general willingness to follow anyone who’s willing to give him the time of day.   He becomes fast friends with Leo Woodall misfit restaurant worker, Sal, who possesses a chaotic charisma that Tony is initially entranced with until things go off the rails with their mentor played by Antonio Banderas.  Banderas has rarely been better as he delivers an award worthy turn as 'Chef' José Vatel who owns the small restaurant Tony ends up working and living with during that formative summer.  Banderas plays the character with impressive nuance and depth as he depicts the character as a tough taskmaster but underneath it there’s an understated soulfulness that enchanting once it reveals itself.  Their stellar work makes the emotional turns hit like a gut punch as this motley crew of a family fractures and nearly falls apart.  The restaurant relationships are so well done that it leaves Emilia Jones’ love interest story line feel more perfunctory than engaging even though his pursuit of her gets the plot rolling.  Those looking for a more expansive exploration of Bourdain will probably be better off sticking with his famous memoir, Kitchen Confidential, since Tony is concerned with a very specific point in time in his life.  That laser focus allows Tony to be a complicated but thoughtful tribute that displays the kind of honest humanism Bourdain would have likely appreciated.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HOLDOVERS

A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.

Director: Alexander Payne

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston, Gillian Vigman, Tate Donovan

Release Date: August 31, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for language, some drug use and brief sexual material.

Runtime: 2h 13m

Alexander Payne's newest film, The Holdovers, is a throwback on multiple levels from its character centered approach and methodical pacing which results in something nuanced, funny, and moving.  Its old school approach is readily evident from the start as Payne uses a retro style rating announcement and title cards to establish a mood before we even meet our cast of loners.  Once we do, there's a wonderful lived in, authenticity to each character that comes through the screen.  Paul Giamatti carries the lion's share of the screen time as the acidic, oddball intellectual whose overblown sense of superiority is instantly evident.  On first glance, it’s a fairly straightforward character which we've seen in these kind of films multiple times.  However, once the story starts in earnest the film slowly starts to peel layers away, revealing a character with multiple layers of depth particularly when the film's central trio gets center stage.  This is the kind of role that's tailormade for Giamatti since he can play an oddball in his sleep, but the latter moments lay bare how truly talented he is as he brings moments of rare but subtle emotions.  His natural chemistry with Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, both of which turn in stellar, subtle performances, serves as the emotional center of the entire film.  Their relationships evolve over the film's runtime, which gives it a more focused and adult styled The Breakfast Club as we experience each character's sense of isolation and loneliness.  The script is wryly written, finding comedy and heartfelt truths through which gives the audience an impressive emotional connection to these characters.  Its methodical pacing and understated style might not be for everyone but those still willing to engage with this kind of character study will find plenty to love in The Holdovers.

A-