Movie Review: Chef (2014)

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Plot:A head chef quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.

I would never have specifically chosen to watch this film by myself, and yet Zoë really liked it. I knew if she liked something like this (and it usually isn’t the type of film she’d go for), I would likely enjoy it too.

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Jon Favreau is perhaps best known for his role as Happy in the Iron Man franchise, but we all know him to be an excellent director too. He takes on the main character role of the Chef Carl Casper (love the alliteration right there), a brilliant chef who is forced into a mundane existence by working in an upmarket restaurant with a close-minded owner (played by Dustin Hoffman). After being blasted terribly by a Food Blogger, Carl loses his shit, goes on a Twitter rampage and eventually just quits. His ex-wife, Inez (Sofia Vergara), convinces him to take up a food truck because then he can actually be true to himself and cook what he wants.

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Beware, Chef is food porn. You need to be prepared for the visual stimulation that will besiege you and I would not suggest watching this on an empty stomach. The amount of goodwill towards good food is staggering, and I was salivating even after I already had a delicious meal earlier.

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Primarily Chef is what happens when a man loses his passion. It is a lesson on social media etiquette, being a good parent, finding solutions and loving what you do how a man that lost his passion gets back on his feet, and his relationship with his wife and child are incorporated into that.  It is a feel good film . I wish all divorced couples would get along so well. Inez and Carl are the ideal divorced pair. They both care about their childs’ happiness and work towards keeping him grounded. I also enjoyed seeing Sofia Vergara in such a role, she is too often only cast as a hot Latino mammy and while she does good at it, she has so much more to give than her typecast work. I also enjoyed Bobby Cannavale and John Leguizamo in their roles, as well as Scarlett Johannson who was just a normal character. Robert Downey Jnr. Quickly makes an appearance too, which tells me a number of the Avengers cast wanted to support their friend and that is just great.

I actually have nothing bad to say about this. Chef is a joyful film with humor and self-discovery, and while it really is very optimistic it is lovely to watch. Definitely worth it!

Rating: 8/10

#100HappyDays: Day 69 – 80

I know, I know. It’s been ages since I posted a 100 Happy Days update. Hell, ignoring yesterday, it has been a whole week since I’ve posted anything. I took a very little hiatus, mostly from my responsibilities, just to focus on myself and rest a bit. It’s been great, but I love blogging and had to return. I refuse to return to my other responsibilities though 😀

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Day 69:

I have been on the prowl for a red pair of shoes for a while. Red is such a kick-ass color, don’t you think? I had to be particular though because I have no wish to go full on stripper while working at a Pharmaceutical company. I saw these shoes first when they were not on sale and a bit pricey. So just think of my happiness when I found them on sale at nearly half price!

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Day 70:

I’m reading the Inn Boonsboro series of Nora Roberts again and having such a blast.

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Day 71:

Packing and wedding prep had me hyped up the entire week for my Bestie’s wedding!

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Day 72:

I’m currently obessed with this purple polish from Revlon. The pic doesn’t really capture the true color though.

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Day 73:

The day of my Bestie’s wedding. The rain stayed away, the bride looked amazing and the venue was so on point. It was a wondrous occasion. Pictured here is our bridesmaid’s bouquet. How gorgeous?!

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Day 74:

On the way back from the wedding we stopped at the Sudwala Caves in Sabie/Hazyview. If you ever travel in South-Africa and find yourself in the region, definitely pay them a visit. It is humbling to see the majesty of the caves, and an education and highly entertaining to listen to the history, well told by properly trained tour guides.

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Day 75:

Gosh, this little dog of ours. Things to note: How Nicci Noodle is lying inside the house when it is their “outside time”. How Olive, the larger black dog in the pic, can’t fit through the gate and is feeling very sorry for herself, and the guilt that radiates from Nicci. It’s hilarious to watch these two!

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Day 76:

I obviously had very little to post that day. However, I do find it so stimulating to talk to people who has passion for something. It is a rare thing to find lately.

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Day 77:

Biltong, my favorite snack.

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Day 78:

Went for some coffee and cake with my sister. We used to live close to  one another and work together, and now both those scenarios have changed. It was lovely just sitting and talking uninterruptedly for a few hours.

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Day 79:

Everything was good about this Good Friday, yo. I woke up naturally, wasn’t forced to function at a godforsaken hour and baked some delicious savory muffins.

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Day 80:

Zoë did my nails with this topcoat, and it is ridiculous how well this Essie Good to Go range works. My nails were unchipped for more than a week, and I am very rough with my hands. I got my hands on some in the shops, and am so happy to have in stock now!

What have you been up to darlings?

#100HappyDays: Days 63 – 68

Happy Monday everyone! This challenge is heading along nice, even with all my numbering faults. (I managed to have day 63 twice this week, which makes no sense, but I think I may have skipped a day somewhere – sure I did – so it will balance out!)

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Day 63 (1):

Love my eldest sister!

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Day 63 (2):

I watched Shakespeare in Love for the first time all the way through and crocheted on a top secret project. I do hope the recipient of this project loves it when it is finished!

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Day 64:

There are some things in this world that makes me ridiculously happy. Two of them are: Free things and Loyalty cards. Our – amazing – canteen at work has a loyalty based point system and I got a delicious meal out of it last week!

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Day 65:

To say that the past week was hectic and full of stress is the understatement of the year. However, I somehow pulled through in one piece, and my managers thought I was amazing. It is a really good feeling to finally work in a place where recognition occurs.

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Day 66:

Yep, more food. This chicken wrap was divine!

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Day 67:

We spent Saturday with some friends that we’ve known for ages, and it was a lovely experience. It is the best feeling to just completely be yourself, because everyone at an event knows you from when you were in your primary school clothes.

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Day 68:

Instead of resting AS ONE SHOULD on a Sunday, I finally took the time to super clean my room. Things were moved, repacked, thrown out, cleaned, new bedding was put up and curtains were hanged. I am SO happy with the results!

What made you happy this week?

#100HappyDays: Days 57 – 62

Happy Monday, folks!

I am back with another update. Today, spot the mistake! 😀

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Day 57:

When the challenge gets tough, take a picture of your food. This was delicious though!

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Day 58:

I’m such a fan of this nude Iced Mocha color from Revlon. Definitely one of my favorite colors!

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Day 60:

Our office has a coffee maker that makes the most delicious and strong cappuchino. There are very little that I find more offensive than weak flavored coffee, so this cancels out the negative day-to-day feels impressively!

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Day 61:

Love the scarf I got on a sale here in Johannesburg!

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Day 62:

I’ve mentioned before that it is weddings everywhere for the next month, and Saturday was the first one. It was so lovely and fun. Happiness is so contagious, don’t you think?

What made you happy this week?