Anthony Bourdain was a trailblazer and director Matt Johnson’s new film Tony does nothing to dispel his legacy. Having made his movie debut in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Dominic Sessa channels all the intellectual anarchy of this culinary icon come international food writer circa 1975. Despite having an inflated opinion of his own abilities and the mouth to back it up, this unconventional biopic is charming, disarming, and carried on the shoulders of an exceptional ensemble cast.
Having kicked down the doors of restaurants worldwide with his expose Kitchen: Confidential, this outspoken maverick with a self-effacing honesty has become an indelible part of food culture. What Tony seeks to do is capture a sense of that rebellious streak over one summer, when the Anthony Bourdain people know and love was not fully formed.
What audiences get as a result is a heartwarming and deeply personal portrayal that feels grounded without the smoke and mirrors. Sessa brings an enigmatic element to Bourdain that taps into his rock star persona as it would become. Director Matt Johnson has also created a rose-tinted version of America, which might not go full Norman Rockwell, but certainly harks back Hollywood’s golden age of ‘70s cinema.
Image Courtesy of A24
The success or failure of Tony as a film never hinges on one thing but succeeds in creating a strange concoction that comes together from conflicting performances. Antonio Banderas is now beyond his Desperado days, but becomes more of a paternal figure, bringing gravitas without grandstanding. Leo Woodall continues to demonstrate his versatility after Tuner with an unwashed supporting role that is pivotal, while only Emilia Jones feels short changed.
After solid roles in Locke and Key, CODA, and Cat Person, her involvement as plot device and partial love interest is the only real hole in Tony. More could have been made of their connection, and it would have enriched a film which flawlessly romanticizes kitchens, cookery, and coming of age stories. In many ways Tony still succeeds into tapping the anti-hero archetype that Bourdain personifies.
A man who went his own way, held firm to that course until happenstance, talent, and luck brought him to a broader audience. In this case a stone-cold classic in the making that confirms Dominic Sessa as an actor with serious credentials. Someone capable of embodying an icon and holding his own within an impressive ensemble cast, while remaining audiences that anti-heroes have walked among us.
Tony is in UK cinemas now