Before Anthony Bourdain became one of the world’s most recognisable chefs, writers and television personalities, he was simply Tony, a young man trying to figure out exactly what the hell he was doing with his life.
Tony takes audiences back to Bourdain’s early years working in Provincetown, Massachusetts, exploring the experiences that would eventually help shape the stories featured in his bestselling 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential. Rather than attempting to squeeze Bourdain’s entire life into a conventional biopic, director Matt Johnson focuses on the messy beginnings, long before fame came knocking.
And Tony probably should have been titled Phoney. With all due respect, the guy eventually went legit, but this is the ultimate fake-it-till-you-make-it story. Tony hits rock bottom so many times throughout the film that I genuinely wondered whether he would ever make it.
His lies twist, turn and spiral so wildly that I could never quite figure out where he wanted to go in life. Going into the film without knowing Bourdain’s true story beforehand actually made the experience even more fascinating. Tony becomes a hypnotising maze as we watch this young man stumble from one situation into another, seemingly making everything up as he goes along.
And how far would someone go to impress a girl? Well, Tony practically goes across the world and back, somehow beginning a journey towards becoming iconic in ways he never could have possibly planned.
Dominic Sessa, who broke out with his performance in The Holdovers, takes on the enormous task of portraying the young Bourdain. Instead of simply impersonating the personality audiences would later know, Sessa gives us someone still trying to discover who that person is. He’s joined by an impressive ensemble including Emilia Jones, Dagmara Domińczyk, Rich Sommer and Stavros Halkias, with standout performances from Leo Woodall and Antonio Banderas.
The project came together following Johnson’s acclaimed 2023 film BlackBerry. After its release, the filmmaker was reportedly inundated with pitches for potential biopics, including one centred around Bourdain. A meeting with Sessa helped steer the concept away from the traditional cradle-to-grave approach, instead focusing specifically on Bourdain’s formative early career.
Written by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, Tony also marks Johnson’s first American feature and his first movie as director in which he doesn’t appear on screen himself.
It’s a decision that pays off. There’s a confidence behind the camera that makes Tony feel considerably more alive than the average biographical drama. With brilliant cinematography, an incredible score and performances packed with heart, I found myself completely unable to tune out.
Besides the approximately 145 extreme close-ups of Tony’s eyes, haha, I was locked in from beginning to end.
There’s something strangely inspiring about watching somebody fail, lie, improvise, fall flat on their face and somehow keep moving forward. Knowing the extraordinary career that eventually awaits Bourdain gives those early failures even greater weight.
Just as Tony predicted, through sheer determination and an absolute inability to quit, Tony is a HIT and an absolute must-see.
Catch Tony at the cinema ASAP!
