When searching for your authentic self, make sure you are honest with yourself. “Tony” is based on the early life of Anthony Bourdain. The famous chef who had his own show and book.  “Tony” as he prefers to be called is a marker to his rudderless, immature arrogance he so enamored within in the film. Here, he’s still in college and finds it difficult to be honest with others and himself.  HIs family life hinders at being tumultuous and difficult.  The lying, the arrogance, the inexperience and challenge of constantly getting in his own way. Tony himself is the obstacle to overcome. No one else is the roadblock. 

Throughout his life he calls himself a writer, although he is not writing anything. Richard Donner said a good writer always had to have their heart broken. Screenwriter workshop teacher said you either experience life or immerse yourself in other books before taking on being a writer. Tony had to experience life before he could write a book. Tony had to earn to become Anthony. And he did- first starting with crime thrillers before he launched “Kitchen Confidential” would sell forty-three million copies.  

The script comes from a comedic center, but a shell covering of drama. A flip to the standard story development. The comedy is situational. To see how far he has to fall-to literally sleep in the gutter before he could make something of himself.  

His tutor along the way is Chef, played marvelously by Antonio Banderas. A role that easily, easily can earn him an Oscar nomination for best supporting role. Banderas’ performance is captivating, a role that lets him be soft and hard, stubborn and malleable. His character is the contrast to Dominic Sessa’s wild immature Tony. Fantastically executed.  

“Tony” is a quality story of a man in desperate need of his comeuppence, in fact dancing around the fact that he is quite pathetic. A person that could have easily stayed a man in the gutter. The acting is terrific, the tone and themes all work, it is well edited but the script feels desperate for another rewrite. It feels close to great, but certain takes and scenes seem forced while others feel amazing. Longing looks and deadpan reactions can only take the story so far. We know how it will end- we know Tony will mature to be Anthony Bourdain and that built  in the story already is its own fatality. 

Fans of his will enjoy it. Bourdain was never shy about who he was before being an accomplished chef and eventual writer. The film is the presentation that Bourdain’s brutal honesty about himself was well earned.  8/10