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: BUGONIA

 

Two conspiracy-obsessed men kidnap the CEO of a major company when they become convinced that she's an alien who wants to destroy Earth.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone

Release Date: October 31, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Sci-Fi

Rated R for bloody violent content including a suicide, grisly images and language.

Runtime: 1h 59m

Review:

Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s fourth film together continues their fascinating collaboration which continues to delve into stranger territory with each film Bugonia continuing that trend to great effect.  Lanthimos’ remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! boast his self-assured style with his vision clearly established from the onset.  His film is visually engaging throughout that gives the proceeding a sense of urgency and immediacy that works in the story’s favor.  The story runs through a slew of timely themes such as corporate greed and its human cost which can result in extreme radicalism fermented on the internet.  Emma Stone is given the task of being the worst kind of self-absorbed, corporate leader whose measured speech barely hides the insincere callousness simmering underneath.  Stone delivers a fantastic performance as the kidnapped CEO that uses every bit of her intellect to try and escape from Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis conspiracy obsessed cousins.  Plemons has corned the market on playing slightly off kilter characters who carry an air of danger with this role being tailor made for his talents.  His character is ragged both emotionally and physically as he struggles to cope with his mother’s illness, something he blames Stone’s company and her personally.   Their interchanges prove to be the highlights of the film as both performers bounce off each other effortlessly which just demands your attention as both are more than capable of turning from one emotional extreme to another in an instant.  They make for a fascinating onscreen adversary especially as the script starts to toy with expectations especially in the film’s final act which veers into absurdist nihilism which is sure to turn off some viewers.  Those who enjoyed the twisted Twilight Zone storytelling from Lanthimos, Stone and Plemons previous film, Kinds of Kindness, will find plenty to enjoy in the equally well-crafted and strange Bugonia. 

A-