The legacy of Anthony Bourdain is flipped on its head as Matt Johnson’s Tony situates itself during a semi-fictionalized summer in 1975, shining a different light on a beloved cultural icon.
Released Aug. 14, Tony follows a young Anthony Bourdain before he had decided to pursue a culinary career. After following a girl to Provincetown, Massachusetts, in the hopes of winning her over, Tony, as he prefers to be called in the film, finds a place to stay at the home of a local chef who introduces him to the culinary world.
Tony is not worried about being as biographical as other films in the genre like Michael or The Social Network. Johnson is less focused on telling the story of Bourdain’s life, and instead, explores who he was before he became “Anthony Bourdain.”
The film is heavily inspired by stories told by Bourdain throughout his illustrious career, such as in his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and his shows No Reservations and Parts Unknown. Thus, Tony is not based wholly on factual accounts of this summer Bourdain spent in Provincetown. Instead, Johnson uses this format to craft a biopic that feels as though it can stand alone as a film about a man struggling with his identity being a writer and working in a kitchen.
Both Johnson’s biopic and Bourdain’s book, Kitchen Confidential, begin with a quote from Bourdain, who describes himself as “…A spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout…in need of a good ass-kicking.”
As Bourdain has become deified as a representation of being cool and charismatic, introducing the film with this quote sets the tone of the movie, urging viewers to see who the man was before his rise.
Tony in Tony is an awkward, cringy liar, who at many times makes decisions that harm both himself and those around him. He is not automatically the man he would become, and he does not need to be.
Although many biopics about successful people relegate their “struggle-era” to a specific part of the film, followed by their rise, Tony is one big struggle for a young man to find his place in the world, and it is all the better for it.
Starring as Tony in his first leading role and only fifth on-screen credit, Dominic Sessa has cemented himself in the echelon of young up-and-coming actors. His performance is captivating but subtle, never feeling like an impression of the man he is playing. While Tony is at many points awful, Sessa never makes him feel irremediable. Rather, he plays Bourdain as he is during the film: a lost and confused teenager.
The cast around Sessa contributed to the success of this film as well. Emilia Jones is charismatic as Nancy Putkoski, and Antonio Banderas plays the role of the mentor with a sentimentality that is palpable. Leo Woodhall was especially captivating as Tony’s troubled friend, Sal. Despite the little screentime dedicated to him, Woodhall creates a performance that nearly rivals the leads.
While some scenes run a little too long closer to the end, and an offhanded reference to Bourdain’s eventual suicide raises some eyebrows, the care and attention put into this film is undeniable.
Johnson’s talent as a filmmaker is on full display throughout Tony’s runtime. His direction is subtle, precise, and feels almost visible in the performances of the actors. Having made his career in mainly comedy centered films, like Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, Johnson’s first venture into “serious” Hollywood filmmaking highlights how much potential he has going forward.
Tony is an incredibly unique example of what biopics can be. It’s not a long and drawn-out film about the life of a celebrity, but a precise and artistic look at who the person behind the name really was.
Tags
Anthony Bourdain, Dominic Sessa, Matt Johnson, movie review, Tony
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to eic@queensjournal.ca.