The Bourdain Effect: How a Biopic Humanizes the Enigmatic Celebrity Chef Matt Johnson's latest film, Tony, tells the story of Anthony Bourdain through his formative summer in Provincetown.
At first glance, it seems like another predictable retread of a celebrity's rise to fame. However, Johnson's deft handling turns what could be a hagiography into something nuanced.
The film confronts the unglamorous aspects of Bourdain's life head on, rather than sanitizing his struggles with depression, dissatisfaction, and self destruction.