'Chef', 'Big Night' And 5 More Great Cooking Movies On Streaming
'The Bear' Got renewed last weekend so I figured why not take a little dive into some cooking movies. Oh, and watch 'The Bear' because it rocks.
1. Chef - 91/100 - HBO Max, Hulu
When Chef Carl Casper suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner, he is left to figure out what's next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife, his friend and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen -- and zest for life and love.
This is movie is loved by basically everybody and yet I STILL think it is underappreciated. It is a perfectly paced story that blends incredible cooking with sequences with a simple family drama. Jon Favreau demolished that role and deserves more recognition for it.
2. Jiro Dreams of Sushi - Documentary - Youtube(free)
The story of 85-year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world's greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be.
I've recommended this documentary a few times because I truly think it is one of the best ever made. It perfectly tells the story of a man that is undoubtably a master at their craft. The dude is 96 years old and still spends every waking moment of his day dedicated to making the best sushi on earth.
3. Ratatouille - 86/100 - Disney+
A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely - and certainly unwanted - visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy's passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.
It's weird to say a Pixar movie is under-appreciated, but I do think Ratatouille gets lost in the shuffle among their heavy hitters. Great food sequences, solid song and great voice acting. It also reminds me how it was spoofed perfectly with Raccacoonie in this year's best movie, 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'.
4. The Hundred Foot Journey - 78/100 - Youtube(free)
A story centered around an Indian family who moves to France and opens a restaurant across the street from a Michelin-starred French restaurant.
This is a small, simple romcom centered around a mutual love of cooking. If you're looking for a date night movie, you could definitly do worse.
5. Pig - 95/100 - Hulu
Living alone in the Oregon wilderness, a truffle hunter returns to Portland to find the person who stole his beloved pig and goes on a cat-and-mouse run along the shore.
This one was one of the wildest surprises of last year without a doubt. Nic Cage was so good in it, and this is all the proof you need to see I'm right.
6. Big Night - 91/100 - Amazon(rent)
Primo & Secondo, two immigrant brothers, pin their hopes on a banquet honoring Louis Prima to save their struggling restaurant.
This indie features an incredible duo in Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci as brothers from Italy trying break it into the big leagues of the food scene. It's equal parts comedy/drama and could definitly use more eyes on it.
7. Tampopo - 94/100 - HBO Max
A pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside fast food stop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle soup making".
This is a really good foreign comedy for those of you willing to watch some subtitles. It features someone I assume is a familiar face in Ken Watanabe and is worth a watch.