The new film "Tony" explores the early life of the late chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain, focusing on a pivotal summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts, when he was 19. Directed and co-written by Matt Johnston, the movie adapts elements from Bourdain's memoir "Kitchen Confidential" and a Salon essay, reimagining his experiences as a coming-of-age narrative.
![Dominic Sessa as Tony in "Tony."]( "Dominic Sessa as Tony in "Tony." A24 via AP")
The film depicts a fictionalized account where Tony, portrayed by Dominic Sessa, travels to Cape Cod under false pretenses. He tells a woman he is interested in that he has secured a writing fellowship, a claim that is untrue. Aimless and struggling with alcohol, Tony follows her to Provincetown, where he eventually takes a job washing dishes at a seafood restaurant run by a gruff chef, played by Antonio Banderas.
The setting of the 1970s is highlighted as contributing to the film's energetic and untamed atmosphere, with its portrayal of less inhibited social norms and a pre-digital age. Sessa, known for his role in "The Holdovers," captures Bourdain's early persona as a likable but flawed individual, a trait that the film suggests made him well-suited for the demanding environment of professional kitchens.
Within the restaurant's kitchen, Tony works alongside a cast of characters, including the oyster shucker Sal, played by Leo Woodall. The film illustrates Bourdain's fascination with the culinary world, including a moment where he witnesses a chef's unconventional behavior at a wedding reception, which he viewed as a significant event.
Banderas' character represents a disciplined mentor figure, inspiring Tony to see food as more than just a necessity or a source of income. The film culminates with Tony interviewing for the Culinary Institute of America, signaling a potential new path, with chef Eric Ripert making a cameo as one of the interviewers.
While the movie offers an upbeat portrayal of Bourdain's formative experiences, the review notes the unavoidable shadow of his tragic death in 2018. "Tony" aims to celebrate the man who significantly influenced global perspectives on food and its power to transform lives.