Every industry has that small group of iconoclasts that define it, becoming representatives of all that can be achieved within a given field. As far as the culinary arts tend to go, there are a number of possible options for the most important and widely embraced figure, and everyone likely has their preference. However, there are some individuals who become so notorious for their contributions to this field that they’re impossible to overlook when discussing the work done in that particular area – and for that reason alone, Anthony Bourdain is perhaps the most important culinary figure of the past fifty years, or at least the one who has developed the most interesting reputation. However, before he was the fascinating culinary icon who existed somewhere between a sage elder statesman of the industry and a culinary rockstar whose devil-may-care attitude drew so many to his work, he was an insecure and impressionable young man, working at the very bottom of a variety of kitchens all across the country, which is where he learned the skills that he would eventually find coming to define him as time went on. This is where we find Matt Johnson, who is steadily becoming one of the most compelling and essential directors working today (and someone who is rapidly rising from solely being a niche filmmaker behind a couple of cult hits) as he sets out to explore Bourdain’s life, albeit from a very different angle – rather than focusing on the later periods in his life, where he was at his peak in terms of both his craft and status as a celebrity chef, Tony focuses on his younger years, attempting to offer insights into those formative experiences that set him on the path to becoming a cultural icon. Taking his cue from Bourdain’s acclaimed autobiography Kitchen Confidential, and condensing several years of the author’s life into a single summer in the early 1970s, the film follows Tony as he takes up a position as a dishwasher at a small restaurant in Provincetown, which becomes the place where he starts to discover his passion, while balancing both his personal quandaries and the challenges that come with working in a cutthroat environment. Bitingly funny and deeply tender, Tony is a tremendous film, and an undeniably worthy tribute to one of the great artists of his generation.

There is an inherent problem that comes with making films about notable cultural figures, since while we all tend to enjoy the idea of exploring the trials and tribulations of the people we admire, very rarely do these films feel all that artistically resonant or impactful, and can often come across as mostly very shallow and bland, attempts to capitalise on the fame of notable figures without actually offering anything particularly challenging or interesting. The biopic genre has always been one that has caused divided opinions for this exact reason, which is why so many of them tend to be viewed with such ire. However, Johnson has never been someone who seems particularly impelled to follow traditions, so the moment it was announced that he would be at the helm of a biographical film about Bourdain, there was an immediate curiosity about the exact approach that we would be taking. His process (working alongside co-writers Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, whose screenplay predates Johnson’s involvement but which they reworked to match his particular vision) was to focus on a specific moment in Bourdain’s life, foregoing the usual cradle-to-grave narrative that tends to populate the vast majority of biopics. Set over a single summer, the film takes many artistic liberties in how it presents Bourdain’s formative experiences, following him as he comes to develop a passion for cooking almost by accident, his interest coming about as a result of needing to find a summer job, and in the process falling in love with the craft. The idea of a coming-of-age story about one of the most recognisable figures in the industry is certainly interesting all on its own, and Johnson ensures that there is always something meaningful being said, which elevates its core ideas enormously, creating a bold and daring examination of a young man simply trying to find his way through the world, doing whatever possible to make it to the next party, not realising that its those moments in between, where he is under the most stress and forced to handle some enormously confusing situations, that ultimately will prove to be the most important, as this is when his identity is being gradually and methodically constructed. 

When making a film about one of the most effortlessly charismatic and undeniably magnetic public figures of his generation (to the point where even those who did not care about food or travel would be entirely transfixed by his work based only on how he commanded the screen), there is a need to find the right actor to play the role, which can be something of a challenge when dealing with someone whose charisma was so central to their image. Perhaps it may have seemed slightly strange to cast Dominic Sessa in the role, not because he lacks talent (in fact, he’s one of the most effortlessly talented young actors to have emerged over the past few years), but rather since so much of his career so far has been spent playing brooding, quiet young men who seem to be at war with their surroundings, making the idea of him playing one of the most exuberant and eccentric cultural figures of the past few decades slightly strange. This doubt is immediately removed once we realise what Johnson intended to do with Tony, which is not a film about the man we all know, but rather a version of him prior to his ascent to fame. Functioning as something of an origin story for a remarkably compelling public figure, the film provides Sessa with the opportunity to once again showcase his remarkable skills, which only serves to underline some of the more peculiar aspects of this story that become the source of some of its most interesting qualities. Sessa has a very particular kind of charisma, one in which we are always kept at a slight distance, but still come to understand the characters he plays, since he manages to express some very interesting qualities that would be lost in a more boisterous performance. It’s a fantastic showcase for a promising young performer who continues to impress us, and his chemistry with his co-stars, which include the likes of Antonio Banderas (who has rarely been more likeable than he is here, playing Tony’s mentor), Leo Woodall and Stavros Halkias, all of whom become wonderful participants in a fascinating and moving portrait of the formative years of a true cultural icon.

The benefit of having both a unique narrative angle and such a strong central performance is that the rest of Tony was evidently very easy to piece together, since the two most important elements were already covered, leaving the director to focus on finding ways to only elevate the already very compelling material. The results speak for themselves, since the film is a masterful example of how a simple premise can be reworked to appear far more expansive and daring than many may have expected at a glance. There’s a very compelling genre often referred to as the “hangout” movie, which usually centres around younger characters as they spend their time navigating a range of different situations, usually set across a very limited span of time. In this case, it’s a single summer in the early 1970s, following Bourdain as he comes to develop his skills in the kitchens that were initially only a way to make some quick money, but eventually become his refuge from the outside world, the place where he was most comfortable throughout his life. Johnson is someone who manages to make any concept entertaining and funny, although not always in a way that is outrageously funny (although there are some projects with which he has been involved that are very much aligned with the kind of surreal humour that many adore from him), but instead have a more bittersweet, tender humour that comes about as a result of balancing several different emotions, finding the right blend of ideas that seem most appropriate for such a story. A combination of sentimental comedy and soft-hearted drama ultimately does seem mostly appropriate for a biopic of Bourdain’s early years, especially since so much of his writing reflects an introspective quality that is often overlooked when so much of his public persona has been built from his more eccentric, boisterous personality, which is only partially factored into this film, which is far more concerned with the more sensitive, nuanced side of his life. It’s a very effective approach, and one that is massively complemented by Johnson’s directorial technique, which uses mood and style to evoke a very particular atmosphere, becoming an immersive, deeply compelling experience that often feels like we are making our way through the dog days of summer, accompanied by an old friend, our perspective becoming so much more fascinating when filtered through such a unique and moving lens.

Making a film about any cultural figure is always going to bring with it certain challenges, since elements such as tone, narrative and structure all need to be considered, both in order to pay sufficient tribute to the person whose life is being explored, and to give the audience something to hold onto, since without a strong perspective, there’s nothing that ultimately connects us to this material. Tony is a perfect example of how a biographical film can easily be elevated through small but meaningful changes – rather than approaching Bourdain’s life as a series of large events spanning multiple years, the film compresses some of his key experiences from his early adulthood into a single narrative, taking a few liberties in terms of how it structures specific events, and uses this as the foundation for a deeply moving examination of a young man trying to find his way through a world he finds confusing and hostile. It’s a beautifully crafted tribute to someone whose life was filled with certain challenges, but who ultimately emerged victorious, solely because of the lessons he learned early in life, discovering his passion and realising the vital importance of marching to the beat of one’s own drum. It’s a fascinating and captivating piece of filmmaking that challenges and entertains the audience, which is often Johnson’s goal when making films, which exist to give the viewer some experience, even if it can sometimes be quite vague at first. Tony is not quite as experimental as some of his other efforts (likely the result of it being a bigger production with more at stake, both artistically and commercially), but his rebellious spirit is still very much intact throughout the film, which honours Bourdain in its own bespoke and compelling way. The focus on a series of episodic moments that all come to be viewed as vital fragments in the construction of the main character’s eventual public persona, coupled with some meaningful conversations around identity, culture and the process of making your way through a difficult environment, all form the foundation for a film that is far more compelling than it had any right to be. Tony is a terrific, immersive film that delivers exactly what it promises, combining impeccable writing, strong performances and meaningful directorial decisions to be a bold and uncompromising ode to a truly extraordinary figure, and someone whose life, while troubled, continues to be a source of inspiration to all of us who are simply trying to understand the beauty and madness of life.