Chef

Chef is a movie in 2014 that I failed to see or even hear about. I recently watched it on Netflix. To my surprise, it was a great movie. Chef  was written, produced, directed by and stars Jon Favreau. An impressive supporting cast includes: Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert Downey, Jr.  Jon Favreau plays the chef who is in charge of the kitchen at a popular Los Angeles restaurant. He is divorced and has a rocky relationship with his son. He is amicable with his ex-wife, and she is growing tired of his lack of effort with their son.

The main character's problem is he can not recognize how unhappy he is regarding his work. His passion for cooking has been suppressed by an owner who only wants a menu that is familiar to all of his customers. The chef is challenged by a local food critic that his food is safe and lacks imagination. A eventual conflict accidently occurs on Twitter (very humorous) and the Chef quits his job out of frustration that he can not defend himself through his cooking.

His ex-wife and her former husband offer him assistance to get back on his feet. They offer the Chef a food truck in Miami. The food truck is a disaster and will require the father and son to restore the truck together. This is where they reconnect. A transition happens in their relationship that is positive by their working together.

Soon the sous chef from the LA restaurant comes to help them restore the truck. After they learn Cuban food, the father begins to teach his son the trade of cooking. They begin to offer food on the truck and the response is overwhelmingly positive. Next, the three drive the food truck across the country back to Los Angeles. Along the way, the adventure is chronicled via social media. The conclusion of the story will not surprise anyone, however it is still special.

An excellent movie. Well written and diverse. While some themes are mature for younger children, I think it is an excellent movie for older family members to watch together.

Selma - Did You Notice?

Selma changes everything regarding civil rights history.  I wonder how many people caught the subtle changes. In the interest of spoilers, I will warn readers ahead of time that I am going to provide an overview with the details how the movie is significant.

This movie demonstrates an important concept to historical accountings in our country. We wait until an entire generation has passed before we offer an accurate accounting of history. And, Hollywood plays a role in shaping our perceptions.

To understand what I mean, go back in time to the 1980s. Watch Ghosts of Mississippi or Mississippi Burning prior to watching Selma. Great movies on their own, however they portray the Southern culture as evil and the Federal Government as the saviors sent in to right the wrongs of a racist society. You leave the theater thinking, "Thank goodness the FBI and our Federal Judicial system stepping in to save the day!"

While there are partial truths to the stories, many key parts of our history are left untold. To suggest that Federal Government played a role in suppressing the Civil Rights leaders through harassment and even possible assassination was never a part of the story. Most likely, it would seem too conspiratorial to suggest serious allegations that our government was part of a more complex plot regarding civil rights history.

Selma immediately tries to correct history. The story is complex. Interwoven are themes of harassment and possible assassinations at the highest levels including LBJ. The movie suggests that all of the assassinations of the 1960s were not a coincidence. In fact, they were by design. Martin Luther King starts off the movie understanding that the risks were very real that he would die. His family also knew those risks.

While this may not be news to the African-American communities that promoted social justice, much of the United States was cleansed from any consideration that our government was possibly behind any of the civil discourse created by assassinations during these turbulent times. If you watch the movie and pay attention, it is not impossible to leave feeling that your historical education was biased and fraudulent. This is why Selma matters. It is so rare to have a movie challenge such popular misconceptions.

Ironcially, Selma was released against American Sniper which is a totally different movie. Americans embraced a movie that while complex, will not encourage anyone to question our government's intentions. It speaks volumes that we embrace what is safe and familiar versus a movie that asks us to question the historical realities we were taught in school.

Cerebral Cinema Hit #1 on Amazon Today

Proud to say that Cerebral Cinema hit #1 today on Amazon. Thanks to everyone that supports my writing. I am very proud of this accomplishment.

Here is the category

Publisher: Decency Publishing (January 4, 2015)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B00RSNCDRK

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray:

Not Enabled

Word Wise: Not Enabled

Lending: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,881 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

• #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Professional & Technical