TONY

Tony presents an individual that you are not meant to like from the get go, but with the talented performances of Dominic Sessa and Antonio Banderas and the storytelling talents of Matt Johnson, a compelling coming of age biopic emerges that showcases the most unlikely origins of one of the culinary world’s most notable figures.

Debuting his third film of the decade, Canadian writer and director Matt Johnson solidifies himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the film industry. With 2023’s BlackBerry and this year’s Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie, Johnson has proven himself a tour de force talent within the comedy genre, making two of the best Canadian films in recent memory, but for his next film, not only does Johnson graduate from the realm of Canadian independent filmmaking, but he tackles American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in a coming of age tale about Bourdain’s formative summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts. While the film displays moments of sharp hilarious comedy that have defined Johnson’s previous films, the maturity he displays while telling the story of a tart young individual who needs a good wake up call, Johnson not only finds an engaging coming of age story that challenges the audience, but directs his cast of Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones and Leo Woodall to great performances that confirms his status as one of Canada’s greatest working filmmakers.

Coming of age stories follow a set blueprint, with the film’s leading character discovering something about themselves and growing into a better person by the end of the film. Audiences will no doubt recognize the name Anthony Bourdain, but will most likely be taken by surprise when they meet young Tony in the film as not only is there no hint of the infamous chef, who instead is a young aspiring but uninspired writer, that is, for lack of a better word, an asshole. Based on Bourdain’s memoir Kitchen Confidential, Johnson and his co-writers find an honest portrayal of Bourdain at this age that highlights his many flaws, showing him drinking, doing drugs, and being a disturbance in his summer in Provincetown. It’s never written with malice though, instead framing these unruly qualities as a lack of purpose and creative outlet for Tony’s potential as he searches for the man he wants to grow into, both creating an unsavory and aimless individual that challenges the audience and their ability to root for him while also setting the film’s final act up for the self-growth that this genre relies on. Johnson’s talents as a storyteller make the comedic moments of the film pop and generate great laughter, but the introspective moments and tenderness he finds in between them shows his growth as a director and his range as a storyteller, proving his merit outside of the comedy genre.

As an actor, not only does Sessa continue to challenge himself by playing complex individuals, he delivers a great performance as Tony. It is very clear from the outset that at this stage in his life, Anthony Bourdain is not the illustrious chef the world knows him to be, but a scrappy young kid lost and trying to find his place in the world, and Sessa effortlessly captures that. Delivering lies with not even a flicker of remorse or hesitation, Sessa finds the hustle within Tony that needs a creative outlet to allow him to reach his true potential, giving an honesty to Bourdain’s reflection of himself at that time as “a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, badly in need of a good ass-kicking.” Played with a quiet inflated self of ego thinking he is smarter than everyone else in the room but also with an inner sense of unfulfillment that lays the runway for the growth that begins as Tony leaves Provincetown at the end of the summer as he tries to make amends for the damage he caused, Sessa mesmerizes as an unlikable individual showing promise of the greatness that Anthony Bourdain would bring to the culinary world with yet another excellent performance to add to his resume.

Sessa is the centrepiece of Tony, but the film does not work without the supporting performances of Banders, Jones and Woodall. Banders is exceptional as ‘Chef’, the chef who takes in Tony in Provincetown, employs him and sparks the idea of becoming a chef himself, bringing a warmth but sternness to the film that counteracts the unpleasantness of Tony. Unwavering in every scene as his stern presence commands the screen but also inspires Tony, Banders delivers one of his best performances in years. Jones ignites Tony’s journey as Nancy, the girl that Tony has followed to Provincetown, balancing a girl next door charm with a no nonsense attitude that challenges Tony and only fuels his pursuit of her. Then there is Woodall as Sal, one of Tony’s fellow restaurant workers who is even more damaged than Tony. With a magnetic bad boy presence that proves his talents as an actor and ability to light up the screen, Woodall is captivating as he plays with Sal’s arrogance and self-destructive habits that continues Tony down a dark path, emphasizing the counteracting light and potential that Chef brings to his life.

In detailing the formative summer in Anthony Bourdain’s life that set him on his path to become one of the most recognizable names in the culinary world, Matt Johnson proves that even greatness can come from the most unexpected, directionless and insufferable of individuals. With two impressive performances from Dominic Sessa and Antonio Banderas becoming the beating heart of the film, Matt Johnson manages to tell an engaging story about an intolerable young man that makes Tony a compelling biopic and coming of age story that continues Matt Johnson’s directorial streak and shows his boundless talents as a storyteller no matter the genre.