Peneflix MOVIE REVIEWS BY PENEFLIX
Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018) was a worldwide master chef, glib conversationalist, flamboyant raconteur and a suicide. Bafflement abounds in this shambolic telling of his nineteenth summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Directed by Matt Johnson (“The Dirties”) and starring stunningly sensational Dominic Sessa (“The Holdovers”) as “Tony”, Emilia Jones, his love interest “Nancy”, Antonio Banderas incomparable as chef “Ciro” and my new star to stalk Leo Woodall (“Tuner”) as hellion “Sal”; the film sears with contradictions from his earliest years; fancying himself a writer of Pulitzer intent, losing a competition, following Nancy to Provincetown where his silver-tongued charm lands him on the porch of chef Ciro’s home. Hence the film thickens with humor; introspective of an artist as a young man, dalliances with Sal’s untoward mentorship vs. Ciro’s guardianship in maturity.
The integrity of “Tony” lies in the shadows: facile, shallow lies are uncovered, Tony’s indecision, future is flirted with, he could have gone in a myriad of directions. Satisfaction rests with knowing and not knowing when Tony morphed into “Anthony”.
FOUR STARS!!!!
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