Tony is an biographical coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Matt Johnson. Adapted from the formative early chapters of Anthony Bourdain’s seminal memoir Kitchen Confidential, the film captures a pivotal, turbulent summer in the mid-1970s that forged the future culinary titan and cultural icon.
Dominic Sessa stars as 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain—an arrogant, restless, and self-destructive young man running away from his comfortable suburban life and a failed writing fellowship. Chasing a high school crush (Emilia Jones) to Provincetown, Massachusetts, Tony lands broke and stranded after a night of heavy drinking.
His life pivots when a seasoned restaurateur known simply as Chef (Antonio Banderas) takes pity on him, hiring him as a dishwasher at a bustling seaside restaurant called The Flagship.
Swept into a sweaty, chaotic underworld of kitchen line discipline and wild off-hours hedonism with a reckless coworker (Leo Woodall), Tony trades literary posturing for the raw craft, community, and heat of the restaurant line.
Equal parts sweet, tart, and sun-soaked, Tony is a soulful hangout movie about finding one’s purpose in the unlikeliest of places.
United States, Biographical Comedy-Drama
(English) 110 minutes
