Stories about challenged individuals who manage to turn their lives around are immensely popular with moviegoing audiences. But there’s a big difference between those that depict individuals who beat the odds against them and those featuring characters who have to dig themselves out of their own self-created holes (and it should be easy to guess which ones are more well-liked). Such latter circumstances are the ones in play in this biographical comedy-drama from writer-director Matt Johnson, an origin story about how celebrity chef and culinary travelogue host Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018) got his start. In 1975, Bourdain (who curtly and routinely informed others that he simply wanted to be called “Tony”) (Dominic Sessa) was enrolled at Vassar College in one of the first classes to which men had been admitted to the former all-women’s institution. He was seeking (with brazenly conceited confidence and no credible experience) a writing fellowship that would allow him avoid going home for the summer, a prospect he viewed with palpable disdain. However, when he was turned down for the opportunity, he needed to find a different path. He decided to head to the coastal resort town of Provincetown, MA to pursue his romantic interest (or, more accurately, romantic obsession) from high school, currently a Vassar co-ed, Nancy Putkoski (Emilia Jones), who was spending the summer on Cape Cod. Tony told others that he was making the journey to work on the fellowship he didn’t win as a cover for his pursuit of a relationship with someone who typically responded to his advances with ambivalence. These conditions ostensibly forced him to wing it in every conceivable way upon arrival in P-town. And, as fate would have it, the “aspiring writer” was the same loutish narcissist there that he was beforehand. After a series of questionable misadventures, he sheepishly ended up taking a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant run by a demanding taskmaster chef (Antonio Banderas) staffed by an array of colorful co-workers (Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias) who were anything but positive influences. But, as Tony’s summer unfolded, he unwittingly began turning things around, largely thanks to the chef’s stringent tutelage, launching Tony down another new path that would lead him to a storied future. Bourdain’s subsequent success is not depicted here except in the film’s electronic epilogue, but it’s that implication that arguably grants this story its salvation in light of how it starts out. The protagonist is clearly depicted as an admittedly charismatic (though undeniably uncouth) bad boy who probably wouldn’t have otherwise been cut any slack were it not for his accomplishments later in life. Fittingly, Sessa capably makes the most of that characterization, turning in a badass portrayal and a remarkably on-point impersonation of the title character, even if it’s written rather monodimensionally and delivered through an uncannily familiar performance to the actor’s role in “The Holdovers” (2023) (which, unavoidably, raises potential questions about typecasting). It also doesn’t help that Tony’s back story is largely missing, with virtually no explanation behind his motivations, behavior and attitude at this time of his life other than through an epigraphic quote from Bourdain at the film’s outset. And this oversight, for what it’s worth, may leave viewers wondering why they should care about what happens to him. Those considerations aside, though, the picture has definite strengths of note, particularly the impressive supporting cast of Banderas, Woodall and Halkias, who do much to bolster viewer interest in the narrative. The film’s superb period piece production design and fine cinematography also add much to the picture, particularly the character of this release’s time frame. Overall, though, “Tony” feels as though it could have been stronger, better focused and more engaging. It’s modestly entertaining, but, in coming away from it, I felt as though I was only served appetizers and missed out on the main course.

I reckon Anthony Bourdain has a lot to be thankful to a girl called Nancy for, for without her inspiration (and his hormones) he might never have gone to Providence in 1975 and discovered how to shuck an oyster. Luckily, having been turned down for a writing fellowship he (Dominic Sassa) decides to follow this girl he has meet only once since school, to this town that reminded me of "Amity" from "Jaws" (also set around the same time). Serendipty is fairly omnipresent for him so he bumps into her - amongst the thousands of seasonal tourists - only to find that she is already working in a pizza place for the summer and has a beau. Tony decides to drown his sorrows and being a bit of a lightweight on that front we find that six beers appears to do the trick - before he is tossed out onto the street and duly robbed. Luckily, the owner of the "Flagship" from whence he was evicted (Antonio Banderas) takes pity on this poor waif and offers him a job as a dishwasher in his kitchen. His is an eclectic staff with "Sal" (Leo Woodall) leading a fairly disparate group of skivvies churning out the same four dishes day in, day out. He still hasn't give up on his "Nancy" (Emilia Jones) though and so for the next while we watch as just about everyone comes to terms with the fact that he's a fairly pathological liar who also happens to have a decent character underneath this constantly evolving façade. As biopics go, Matt Johnson and Sessa have crafted something really quite engagingly plausible here. They are not afraid to cast Bourdain as a bit of a selfish pratt who has just as much difficulty owning up to himself who he is as he has to the others whom he is constantly trying to impress. His characterisation is one that is only just on the right side of the rails - some of the time - and his association with "Sal" - a bad influence rather too convincingly portrayed by Woodall - serves as a counterbalance to the more stabilising affect provided by an understated Banderas whose chef clearly has a story of his own to tell. There's fun to be had here, too, with a little bit of derison of the pomposity of youthful academic aspirations and of the introspecton that can imbue in a man; and there are plenty of buckets of water thrown on his thankfully extensive collection of brightly-coloured Y-fronts! It also reminds us of the declining appreciation of community and if you've ever wondered how to organise a charity clam-bake, then this is your film. Thanks to Banderas, it's touching at times, usually quite entertaining and well worth a look.