"Roadrunner" - A Better Late Than Never review

Chef. Addict. Writer. TV star. Provocateur. Until his untimely death by suicide, Anthony Bourdain was all of these. In its attempt to get to know who Bourdain was, director Morgan Neville relies on footage from Bourdain's many shows and media appearances, along with interviews with people who knew him. It is said that fame changes a person, and "Roadrunner" shows that in three parts. We see that behind Bourdain's cool outer shell was a geeky romantic, who did his best to keep it together when fame found him. We see that it took time for Bourdain to grow into the engaging persona fans have seen through the years, with producers in the early stages of his TV career practically begging him to show the charm he showed at book signings and in his kitchen. We see that travel can change you as a person and that constant travel took its toll on him with two failed marriages. We see a man who dove headfirst into something with full commitment to it, whether it was cooking, making compelling television, fatherhood, or falling in love. We see that he was totally invested in making the last major love affair of his life work, only to eventually see it lead him to his shocking demise. You can see the pain on people's faces when they talk about Bourdain's state of mind in the weeks leading up to his death. While no one can understand what goes through the mind of someone who takes their own life, you get the feeling that Bourdain felt he had compromised himself too much at that point, and that there was only one way out. At one point in the documentary, Bourdain talks about how his own death doesn't interest or concern him and that he hopes that at the very least, it provides some entertainment value. As the subject of a documentary for both long-time fans and people who want to see what the fuss was about him, I think he would have been pleased.

"Chef" - A Better Late Than Never review

When I heard that the Angry Dragonz food truck were giving away passes to see this movie last year if you tweeted out a picture of something from their menu, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone and score some food and bypass the ticket line. While I did enjoy the General Tso Chicken rice bowl with egg roll I ordered, my pictures weren't up to snuff to see the movie for free. Fast forward to this week, and the copy I borrowed from the Ottawa Public library came in. Jon Favreau stars and excels as a high profile chef who starts a food truck business when he loses his restaurant job after refusing to compromise himself anymore. Favreau gets the most out of his collaboration with co-producer and chef Roy Choi as the movie does a good job conveying the frustrations of being a chef working for a controlling owner; the struggles of juggling parental responsibilities and professional obligations; the perils of social media; and the trials and tribulations of getting into the food truck game. This film shows a great love of the art of cooking, and is a perfect blend of indie film making, and big box office star power. Recommended for foodies and anyone who's ever thought about packing it in and doing what they love not because someone is telling them to do it, but because they love doing it.