This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

Did I already say that I love cooking and films about cooking? I probably did. For food lovers talking, reading, watching TV shows and - why not - seeing movies about food and the people behind food just amplifies the pleasure of enjoying good food and enriches the experience. We have been blessed with a few good movies on this topic, some older (who can forget Louis de Funes in L'Aille et la cuisse?) some recently like the American Chef with an almost identical title as the French comedy Le Chef.We may of course expect a lot from a French film about 'haute cuisine' - the subject should be part of the national expertise after all. Director and script co-writer Daniel Cohen has taken the easy path with this lighthearted comedy about a famous chef (Jean Reno) who is obsessed with keeping his three Michelin stars intact and an unemployed aspirant (Michael Youn) trying to find his way in the world of high-end cooking. Everybody has a good time and especially Reno who abandons for a short while his tough guy mask and lets us know that he owns a carefully suppressed comic talent.There is some serious background behind the light comedy which should not be omitted. Great chefs nowadays need to fight increased competition from street food and from the modern trends like 'molecular food' (which incidentally I hate as much as the folks who wrote the script of this film). Fighting kitsch or pretentious avant-garde artistic challenge that is not encountered only by artists in cooking but by many other fields. So are the crisis of creativity, the loss of inspiration, the need to change and do something else in certain turning points of lives and careers. None of these subjects are absent but none is explored to deeply either in 'Le Chef'. The result in culinary terms is a 'souffle' - light and pleasant when eaten but not leaving persistent memories after the consumption. I mentioned the American movie 'Chef' which also dealt with a famous cook in some crisis in his life and career turning to street food. Well, the food in the American 'Chef' may not have been as classy as the food in the French 'Le Chef' but the film that resulted was better.

this is a great movie,a great comedy with jean reno of top of is game,this movie has a little of everything to have a great time.the association between those 2 actors is one of the best ever,the story is very original and translated a lot of emotions,jean reno is the best actor in the world every scene with him is a delight he is so funny he is hilarious.this movie is perfect to have a great time,it,s deep and clever the should make more of those movies because they are simply great.this is a great french comedy take everybody can love and enjoy.jean reno is amazing is such a great actor and in this movie he is very funny

Don't listen to some of these stupid critics.watch it your self and prove me wrong if you can.I Totally AGREED WITH THIS !! Of course, don't expect here a masterpiece or any attempt to make an original plot or anything like that : this is a mainstream production, and all we should expect from it, is just to be funny, well-done, and without bad taste ingredients. And so it is. A simple comedy, gentle, with a good rhythm, and nice characters. In fact, not only the main characters are good here, but everybody is, and the supporting actors here have their place, and contribute to our pleasure. Jean Reno and Michaël Youn compose a nice duet. There's not much that I can add. Except that even if everything was easily expect regarding the plot, what is never obvious to expect is that we'd have such a very good time.

This is common fare light comedy about an uncommon subject; well not that uncommon when you search related titles and find a dozen or so. It's not the 2009 'Julie & Julia' for story and performances but it's charming enough if you have a bit of a culinary interest and understand the guarded pride the French have for that art (Oh yes, it's certainly an art). You'll enjoy Reno's character and his performance but I find that the lesser known Michaël Youn has the better role here and delivers it very well. It may be more accurate to say, as another reviewer pointed out, that Reno and Youn make a nice duet. I'm happy that the movie does not make caricatures of the roles of the two main actors. One more thing, and one that gives it the flavour of a French movie, is that the love interests of both Reno and Youn are extremely attractive women, yummy, if I may say shamelessly.