By Matthew Moorcroft

Strong Recommendation

• Directed by Matt Johnson
• Starring Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Antonio Banderas
• R

Like all writers, a young Anthony Bourdain is doing literally everything else but actually writing. In fact, he’s mostly just kind of drifting, confident in his own bullshit to the point where he’s convinced he’ll get a writing fellowship by simply existing and that will get him the girl of his dreams without much issue. Of course, life doesn’t work out that way and he doesn’t get it, and instead finds himself working in a kitchen to pay off debts while still lying his way through life.

To quote Bourdain himself, he’s the kind of guy who is probably in need of a good ass-kicking.

With it’s breezy, sun-soaked vibes that feel a perfect mix of briny and comforting, Tony is something of a departure for Matt Johnson as a director, whose filmography is moreso one of constant tension, the thrill of possible doing something immensely illegal, and fly on the wall cinematography that makes you witness to a car crash in action. One would also not be surprised to find out then that this is the first film he’s been involved with where he is not the main creative force, having signed onto the project after a script was already written even if his touches are still all over this in terms of subject matter.

But that’s part of the beauty here, as Tony proves Johnson isn’t just a one trick pony and can easily translate his skill set into a more conventional film that also doesn’t lose the semblance of what makes his movies so particularly great. Even in Tony, which plays itself more straight laced then prior Johnson features, there are moment in the kitchen where you feel like you are just watching from a distance into a moment in time, for better or worse. Multiple characters are ticking time bombs, just waiting to go off, but here those bombs are set to medium rather then destructive. Character faces are obscured during reserve shots almost like the camera was placed quickly and last minute. These are features, not bugs; indicative of Johnson’s desire to create a lived in space for which this fictionalized version of Bourdain can live.

And sure, he’s most certainly fictionalized. This section of his life is mostly documented in a couple of small chapters in his memoir and not much else, so it’s clear that opportunity arose to tell a story around his life that also didn’t conform to biopic trends. Indeed, Tony plays much more like a coming of drama dramedy then a straight biopic, with even it’s eventual tropes feeling more like the ending to an 80s teen flick then something out of a heavy hitting story about one of the most famous celebrity chefs in the world. Thankfully, this also means Tony avoids those trappings entirely and is just focused on telling a good story on it’s own merit, one that explores what happens when said drifting leads you to an unexpected final destination.

Finally getting a chance at a meaty lead role after his excellent debut turn in The Holdovers, Dominic Sessa brings the house down here with a portrayal of Bourdain that borders on insufferable but never stops being likable; he’s the kind of guy that you would probably like hanging around with for a little bit but after like a week would realize he’s kind of a dick. Sessa never brings it too far one way or the other either, instead maintaining a level of subtlety to his performance that keeps him feeling like a real person rather then a caricature. The fact he’s able to stand toe to toe with Antonio Banderas is more proof of that here, and the scenes between just those two are some of the best of the flick.

And it’s that balancing act that gives the film it’s depth and meat to chew on, pun intended. Johnson has always had the undercurrent of exploring masculinity and the general personas that we put on to save face, and while Tony is more conventionally plotted, told, and shot – it’s definitely the Johnson film I’d most tell my parents to watch – it’s still very much exploring those thematic ideas and ending on a similar note of self-actualization. The final line, less of a fun name drop, works almost like a final thesis statement about embracing your own identity as a person beyond the walls you put up for yourself.

It would be one thing if Tony was just another step to Matt Johnson becoming a superstar director, which seems to be inevitable at this point. But instead, Tony is quietly one of the year’s most surprising and least surprising flicks. Least surprising in that it’s as good as it is, and most surprising in that it’s more of a vibes picture then anything else you’ll see this year. Great movie!