Bourdain’s Transformative Summer of ’75 Is Tasty Fare in ‘Tony’

Bourdain’s Transformative Summer of ’75 Is Tasty Fare in ‘Tony’

By Lynn Venhaus
 Ah, one magical summer when you’re in college and trying to figure out your place in the world. “Tony” takes that relatable premise, and presents the birth of Anthony Bourdain, future renowned chef and food/travel writer/celebrity.

Loosely based on the late Bourdain’s 2000 memoir, “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,” 19-year-old Tony is an arrogant jerk who is directionless and lies compulsively to impress.

As with all conventional biopics these days, he will face major turning points and a new direction, finding his voice and a passion for food under the tutelage of an older, wiser chef.

Set in 1975, Bourdain is attending Vassar College, and returns home to New Jersey for the summer, convinced he will be awarded a writing fellowship. When that doesn’t happen, he impulsively follows his crush to Provincetown, Mass., where she is staying with friends.

Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas in “Tony.”

Dominic Sessa, who earned an Oscar nomination for his remarkable breakthrough performance in “The Holdovers,” captures Bourdain’s cockiness and confusion at personal crossroads. It’s a striking leading man turn, hopefully a harbinger for more good work to follow.

In the book, Bourdain described himself at that age as “a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking.”

Penniless, he works as a dishwasher so he can stay in P-town. A ramshackle casual seafood restaurant, the Flagship, becomes the film’s beating heart. Antonio Banderas is steadfast as a kind but strict chef-owner from Brazil who mentors the sweaty staff. While a composite character, Chef becomes the film’s moral center.

Writer-director Matt Johnson, whose 2023 film “BlackBerry” was impressive in taking a true story and making it compelling drama, thrives in a chaotic kitchen environment, heightening the personal conflicts. That’s when the film is at its best.

Dominic Sessa, Leo Woodall in “Tony.”

The kitchen crew includes Leo Woodall, who’s having a moment, as the swaggering, hot-headed ladies’ man Sal. A reckless drug user, he introduces Tony to the partying lifestyle side of some food workers.

The kitchen brotherhood includes Stavros Halkias as salty line cook Stavros and Michael Jibrin as veteran cook Tyrone. Through trial and error, Tony learns discipline and the courage to try new things, but also the camaraderie of family meals, finding purpose and a creative outlet.

The romance angle doesn’t work as well, with Johnson dwelling too much on facial close-ups of Emilia Jones as Nancy. Granted, she’s a fine actress, as “CODA” proved, but it seems to lessen the film’s tumultuous gritty vibe. (Fun fact: Nancy Putkoski was Bourdain’s high school sweetheart, and she did work the counter at Spiritus Pizza. They eventually married in 1985 and divorced in 2005.)

As an origin story where the before is awkward, Sessa slyly shapes Tony’s future self, developing his culinary pursuits and figuring out priorities. Second chances and redemption win out in the script Johnson co-wrote with Todd Bartels, Lou Howe and Matthew Miller. He understands how harsh lessons teach us the most.

Dominic Sessa as Tony at The Flagship.

As he begins to flourish, you can see Bourdain’s promise. As we know, he will eventually head for parts unknown — prestigious culinary training, becoming an acclaimed chef, opening restaurants, excelling as a charismatic and candid television host, and traveling the world.

As documented in interviews and in the 2021 documentary “Roadrunner” by Morgan Neville, Bourdain struggled openly with addiction and mental health issues during his life. His journey was both a glorious and difficult ride before he took his own life in 2018. He was 61.

But the movie doesn’t depict that evolution or life summary, just the beginning of his ambitious pursuits. His life-changing summer, while fictionalized, remains a rich subject to illustrate.

Cinematographer Michael Bauman, Oscar-nominated for “One Battle After Another,” beautifully captures Cape Cod in its sun-drenched glory while production designer Ryan Warren Smith has nailed the 1970s summer beach party vibe as well as a messy, cramped restaurant kitchen.

Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones in Provincetown.

Composer Jay McCarrol’s minimalist music choices compliment the narrative well, with sea-inspired sounds, moody guitars and a worn wood piano reflecting Tony’s journey. Some of the ‘70s party needle drops include “Hollywood Swinging” by Kool & The Gang and “A Fifth of Beethoven” by Walter Murphy while the rebellious punk spirit is showcased in “Down on the Streets” by The Stooges.

Despite some pacing issues, and an unlikable protagonist for two-thirds of the story, “Tony” is an enjoyable coming-of-age story, immersed in a time and a place. At least we know he gets his act together to become one of the most influential culinary figures in the world – that helps.

“Tony” is a 2026 coming-of-age docudrama directed by Matt Johnson and starring Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias, Michael Jibrin, Dagmara Dominczyk and Rich Sommer. Rated: R for pervasive language, drug use, and sexual content/nudity and run time is 1 hour, 46 minutes. It opened in theatres on Aug. 21. Lynn’s grade: B.

Antonio Banderas, Dominic Sessa in “Tony.”

Anthony Bourdain Coming-of-Age Story ‘Tony’ Makes Satisfying Meal of Familiar Ingredients

Anthony Bourdain Coming-of-Age Story ‘Tony’ Makes Satisfying Meal of Familiar Ingredients

By Alex McPherson

Director Matt Johnson’s “Tony” is an excellently acted mini-biopic that goes beyond  familiar plot beats to paint a textured portrait of a fascinating, troubled soul.

Adapted from a few chapters of Bourdain’s 2000 memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, “Tony” takes place over the summer of 1975, when 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain (Dominic Sessa), a cocky student at Vassar College, dreams of becoming the next Great American novelist.

He’s super confident he’ll receive a grant from the school’s Fellowship Committee — too confident, actually. He even works up the courage to chat up Nancy (Emilia Jones), a high school crush, and learns she’s headed to Provincetown for summer break. 

He’s rejected for the grant, but Bourdain will be damned if he admits to anyone he didn’t get it, especially his judgmental mother (Dagmara Dominczyk). He tells his family he got the fellowship and travels to Provincetown to track Nancy down. He finds her, but discovers she has a boyfriend. 

A drunken Bourdain is beaten up shortly afterwards at a local bar, The Flagship, and is thrown out on the street. He later finds himself (without his wallet) in a beachside hammock on a residence owned by The Flagship’s head “Chef” (Antonio Banderas). Chef takes pity on down-on-his-luck Bourdain and offers him a job as a dishwasher.

Through reluctantly accepting this new gig, Bourdain becomes immersed in the culinary world in all its messiness and joys, and we catch glimpses of the influential chef he’ll ultimately become. 

With a premise like this, “Tony” seems like it’ll follow a conventional trajectory, and, generally, it does. But one mustn’t underestimate the directorial verve of Johnson (director of “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” and “BlackBerry”), who finds humor, pathos, and surprising authenticity between the lines.

Nuance abounds in “Tony,” which examines its central subject without sanding down his idiosyncratic brilliance or the darkness and self-destructiveness lurking beneath his confident façade. It doesn’t depend on previous knowledge of Bourdain to succeed as a coming-of-age story in its own right.

The film’s lived-in charms are supported by filmmaking that builds a deep, sun-tinged sense of place. Johnson captures the trauma-bonded camaraderie and undeniable thrill of working in restaurant kitchens, and recreates 1975 Provincetown with striking attention to detail.

Numerous outdoor shots are draped in a wistful, golden hour glow beautifully filmed by cinematographer Michael Bauman and soundtracked to a collection of pitch-perfect needle drops. He also conveys Bourdain’s loneliness and alienation, by initially having him drift through bustling places like an invisible outcast.

Sessa is downright magnetic as Bourdain, capturing his charisma and bravado along with his self-pity and deep-seated feelings of inadequacy, lending even the film’s more outright comedic moments a sense of melancholy. This is especially effective if you know the struggles of Bourdain’s later years.

Bourdain, as written by Johnson, Todd Bartels, Lou Howe, and Matthew Miller, struggles to reconcile the person he wants to become (a writer who we never actually see write anything) with who he actually is.

He’s unable to admit to himself and to others (particularly Nancy) that his life is following a different trajectory than what he had initially planned. He’s adrift, searching for a sense of direction, and his experiences at The Flagship present different paths he could head down.

Bourdain strikes up a friendship with Sal (an outstandingly live-wire Leo Woodall), a hard-partying, womanizing, rebellious coworker who helps bring him out of his slump while tempting him with numerous vices.

But it’s really “Chef” who truly connects; Banderas brings a deep sense of wisdom and tough love that helps unlock Bourdain’s eventual passion for food, even if he takes too much joy in splashing a bucket of ocean water on Bourdain’s face every morning before work. 

Both Sal and Chef (created as amalgamations of various people Bourdain met throughout his career) are vividly realized with a naturalism and dry wit that feels real and decidedly un-Hollywood.

Each provides Bourdain with different paths he could follow, if he’s willing to finally grow up. The supporting cast, including Stavros Halkias, Michael Jibrin, and Monica Raymond, is fantastic; frankly, they’re just a fun group to hang out with.

Emilia Jones as Nancy is given far less to work with here, and it’s clear that “Tony” doesn’t quite know what to do with her besides make her an object of Bourdain’s obsession and eventual growth. At several points, the camera seems to linger creepily over Jones — whether or not we’re supposed to be viewing Nancy through Bourdain’s eyes, it’s off-putting and distracting.

When “Tony” nears its conclusion, though, the more generic aspects of the narrative fall away to leave us with surprising poignancy. The film reminds us to live in the moment and not confine ourselves to expectations. It becomes a more truthful tribute to the real Bourdain (and a fuller  meal) than any hagiographic biopic could ever be.

“Tony” is a 2026 biopic directed by Matt Johnson and starring Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias, Dagmara Dominczyk, Michael Jibrin, Monica Raymund and Rich Sommer. It is Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, and sexual content/nudity and is 1 hour, 46 minutes. It opened in theatres Aug. 21. Alex’s Grade: A-

Heartwarming Drama ‘CODA’ Opens Our Ears to Deaf Adults’ Struggles

Heartwarming Drama ‘CODA’ Opens Our Ears to Deaf Adults’ Struggles

By Lynn Venhaus
Sure, it’s predictable, but “CODA” earns its way into your heart with a touching family coming-of-age story that makes it impossible not to be moved by it.

As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family’s fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur).

With warmth, humor and a strong cast, “CODA” has turned a conventional family dynamic and an oft-told tale of a teenager pursuing her dream into something special. Not original, it is a remake of a 2014 French film, “The Belier Family,” but setting it in America translates well.

The film has an appealing lived-in atmosphere. The solid sense of place, set in a New England fishing village — Gloucester, Mass., is one of this small film’s charms. Cinematographer Paula Huidobro deftly handles land and sea — and a flooded rock quarry. Production Designer Diane Lederman has added visual texture with a shabby yet cozy clapboard cottage as the family home and a battered fishing trawler for its business.

The working-class Rossi family has earned its living as fishermen. Dad Frank, Mom Jackie and son Leo are all deaf, and the local fishing business is going through economic struggles, which affects their home life. Ruby helps, but she has high school and can’t be there all the time.

Because she loves to sing, the shy and awkward teen signs up for choir, surprising her best friend and family – and herself. Her mother doesn’t understand this need to pursue a hobby – and underestimates Ruby’s passion.

A tough music teacher, Bernardo Villalobos recognizes her natural talent and pushes her to succeed, although she is her own worst enemy because of her lack of confidence, not commitment.

A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mr. V has arranged auditions at his alma mater for a bright star, Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), and decides to do the same for Ruby.

“There are many pretty voices with nothing to say,” Mr. V tells her. “Do you have something to say?” Turns out, she does.

But the family’s dependence on Ruby is so overwhelming that she feels that she can’t pursue her dreams. Well, open the waterworks, because there will be bumps in the road, and baby steps, to finding a way to keep her time slot – not only as an individual, but also as a family.

Director-writer Sian Heder has presented the challenges of deaf adults in a hearing world with compassion and accuracy. Through her sharp observations, we can see what hardships that hearing-impaired people face daily.  She demonstrates it effectively throughout the film, but a later scene at a concert, shot with complete silence, is a stunner.

Heder, with only her second feature film, won the directing award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Like “Minari” last year, “CODA” was honored with both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, and a Special Jury Prize fpr Best Ensemble.. Apple Studios purchased it for a record-breaking $25 million. I hope it will have a broader reach than arthouses.

Oscar winner Matlin, now 55 and the mother of four children, has been an active spokeswoman for the National Captioning Institute. In 1995, she was instrumental in Congress passing a law requiring all television sets that are 13 inches or larger to be manufactured with built-in chips for closed captioning capabilities on their screens.

After winning the Academy Award in 1987 for her debut screen performance in “Children of a Lesser God,” she has represented the deaf community for breakthroughs large and small.

Her visibility here, as an imperfect mother seeking to be more sensitive to her hearing daughter, is immeasurable, and she does a fine job.

As the sexy mom, she has a playfulness with deaf actor Troy Kotsur, whose portrayal of a gruff but soft-around-the-edges dad is believable. They provide a light-hearted touch, as does deaf actor Daniel Durant as big brother Leo, who tussles with his baby sister like brothers naturally do.

Emilia Jones’ pitch-perfect performance is the necessary glue, and fully engaged, she does not overplay the teenage angst and range of feelings.

The family’s love for each other can be felt, and the actors project that bond.

Supporting players also appear comfortable in their roles, particularly Eugenio Derbez, known for comedies in his native Mexico, showing his drama skills as the no-nonsense choir director.

He’s relatable, as is Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, so terrific in 2016’s sublime “Sing Street,” as Ruby’s duet partner Miles. So is Amy Forsyth, notable as Ruby’s best friend Gertie.

Also noteworthy is composer Maurius de Vries for his expert music supervision. He worked on both “La La Land” and Baz Luhrman’s “Moulin Rouge!” and makes some interesting choices here. Miles and Ruby sing the Marvin Gaye-Tammi Terrell classic “You’re All I Need to Get By” and Ruby’s audition piece is Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.” Be sure to stay for the credits to hear Jones’ sweetly sing “Beyond the Shore.”

Emilia Jones and Eugenio Derbez

The movie uses English subtitles when characters use American Sign Language.

A crowd-pleaser in the mold of “Billy Elliot,” “CODA” resonates because it takes a familiar story and amplifies it through a different perspective. It is a major step forward in inclusivity.

“CODA” is a 2021 drama directed by Sian Heder and stars Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, Eugenio Derbez, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo and Amy Forsyth. Rated PG-13 for strong sexual content and language, and drug use, its runtime is 1 hour, 51 minutes. It is in theaters and streaming on Apple Plus TV starting Aug. 13. Lynn’s Grade: A-