The movie "Tony" focuses on Anthony Bourdain's life as a 19-year-old college student in Provincetown during the summer of 1975. Based on early chapters of his memoir "Kitchen Confidential," the film portrays him as a "spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout." Dominic Sessa, known for "The Holdovers," stars as the young Bourdain, capturing his restless, troubled, and charming persona as he navigates his early experiences working in a restaurant kitchen.
The film is described as a coming-of-age story that distances itself from Bourdain's later iconic image. Director Matt Johnson, who co-wrote the script, aims to show the "ass-kicking" Bourdain received during this period, turning him from an arrogant brat into a slightly less callow individual. While the movie is a fictionalized romance in parts, it aims to be true to the essence of the person Bourdain was becoming.
Reviews highlight that "Tony" captures Bourdain's early passion for the kitchen, with its pressure, camaraderie, and the "pirate's adoration of heat and knives." However, some critics note that the film doesn't fully depict his developing culinary muse or his struggles with heroin use, which he later mentioned began during this time. The movie is seen as an "appetizer," leaving viewers with a taste of his origin but not fully exploring how he evolved into the global culinary icon.
The film was rated R by the Motion Picture Association for "pervasive language, drug use and sexual content/nudity." "Tony" is an A24 release, which began its theatrical run in Los Angeles and New York on August 7 and expanded on August 21.
