The Hollywood biopic Tony arrives in cinemas this weekend to lukewarm reviews. For a grittier, more authentic take on the late chef's life, his own narration of Kitchen Confidential is the essential listen.
A bible for chefs and foodies
Kitchen Confidential made Anthony Bourdain a certified celebrity in 2000, topping bestseller lists and launching his media career. Nearly two decades later, Bourdain tragically died by suicide, following a candid struggle with addiction and mental health throughout much of his life.
The late chef's culinary travel show, Parts Unknown, continues to be celebrated – particularly among younger generations discovering the docuseries for the first time – while his inspirational quotes dominate social media feeds.
The biopic treatment
Now, Bourdain has had the Hollywood biopic treatment. Tony stars Dominic Sessa as Bourdain, Antonio Banderas as 'Chef', and Leo Woodall as his chaotic pal Sal. Based on several early chapters of Kitchen Confidential, the movie is a joyous, heartwarming and 'lesson-learning' version, if early reviews are anything to go by.
A coming-of-age flick, Tony follows a 19-year-old Bourdain in the summer of 1975, as he flees to Provincetown, Massachusetts, after failing to secure a writing fellowship – something that didn't happen in real life. Like most movie biopics, the movie takes plenty of creative licence, offering a more squeaky-clean, rose-tinted-glasses look at the chef.
Reviews and the audiobook alternative
Providing a backdrop to the book's account of New York's drug-fueled, high-octane 1990s culinary scene, The Guardian gave it three stars, writing that “the feelgood factor is compromised by what we know of the author”. Elsewhere, Variety praised it as a “tasty biopic” with an “enchanted spirit of discovery that recalls 'Adventureland' and the films of Richard Linklater.”
Its source material, Kitchen Confidential, offers a more unfiltered look at the chef's life – particularly the audiobook version, which benefits from Bourdain's own narration. If you're a fan, the memoir is essential listening – if you're not, you will be after downloading it.
The audiobook, narrated by the late chef himself, offers an unfiltered look at the less appetising moments of the high-end restaurant world. It follows his cult 1999 New Yorker essay, “Don't Eat Before Reading This”. Beginning with his first memorable food experiences on holiday in France with his parents, the book goes on to describe the unpleasant, hazardous and gruelling work in a professional kitchen. Some stories are hilarious, others are horrifying – but all are gripping and effervescently told in gonzo style. Above all, Bourdain's passion for food, people and life shines through.
