“Why don’t I just cook you something?” It’s the kind of line women like me dream about, especially conveyed by a chef with a knife tattoo running the length of their forearm. Unsurprisingly, when Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) delivers it – alongside an artfully twirled dish of late-night pasta – beautiful brunette Scarlett Johansson (Molly) gets bedroom eyes. Sure, this feel-good foodie flick is a bit paint-by-numbers in the sewn-up story department, but who cares when it delivers everything from full-screen restaurant plating, to lovingly grilled four-cheese sandwiches at home, to killer Cuban sandwiches from a food truck! Throw in a father-son road trip through key foodie destinations – like Austin’s Franklin’s BBQ (which many Aussies have already salivated over, courtesy of Anthony Bourdain) – and there’s a lot to make you hungry. It’s saved from being too saccharine by kick-arse Cuban tunes, Twitter flame wars ‘flying’ across the screen, and saucy chef banter, from “amuse douche” to “cornstarch on my werewolves”. Real L.A. food-truck consultant Roy Choi (Kogi) pops up in the credits, so stay seated for his technical rundown on making perfect cheese toasties; because if you “fuck this up, everything sucks in the world.”

Chef hits cinemas May 8^th.
www.studiocanal.com.au/Chef/

It’s been 40 years since the English-language version of Les Misérables first hit stages in London, where it soon took the world by storm. In celebration of this monumental achievement, Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular has touched down in Sydney at the ICC Theatre for a huge celebration of the French-set musical.

Celebration feels like the right word for this production of Les Mis. The entire experience of watching this arena spectacular is much closer to a concert than a musical in the traditional sense, with most of the action being anchored firmly centre stage where both the main and ensemble cast do a lot of the singing.

It might be a little alienating to attendees who aren’t super fans, or those experiencing the music for the first time. But Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular makes no excuse about being a show for the fans – even then, newcomers can see this is likely the best the music of this show will ever sound.

Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular shoots big

The tall ceiling of the ICC Theatre feels appropriate for a show as grand as Les Mis. As the proverbial curtain draws, the production immediately operates on an epic scale thanks to the fantastic performances of Alfie Boe as freed prisoner Jean Valjean and Michael Ball as the guard Javert (on opening night). The antagonism between the two is felt immediately, an element afforded by their real-life working relationship.

From there, you probably know the story: Valjean breaks parole and looks to become a better man by adopting the daughter of ailing single mother Fantine (Rachelle Ann Go), while Javert hunts him down with the French Revolution as a backdrop.

The concert staging means that every song in Les Misérables sounds truly remarkable. Under the conducting baton of Adrian Kirk, the sensational live orchestra is matched only by the remarkable suite of performers on-stage.

The huge international cast consists of many Les Mis veterans taking on new roles; Michael Ball has gone from the starry-eyed Marius to the coldhearted Javier, for instance.

As such, the cast of the show is really quite phenomenal. Particular highlights included Jac Yarrow’s highly emotional Marius, Shan Ako’s tragic Éponine and James D. Gish as a particularly heroic Enjolras.

Yet a good Les Misérables production is nothing without a sensational Fantine, and Rachelle Ann Go is more than equipped for the task. Despite her short time on stage, she leaves an immeasurable impact on the show with her intensely emotional performance.

A show for Les Mis fans of every kind

I did find myself wishing Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular felt a little more like a ‘musical’ at times. Though the stage design promises more dynamism in the action, the actors are often rather static as they stick behind the line of microphones, despite the main actors having mics attached to their cheeks. This also has the unintended consequence of making the story a bit hard to follow at times.

There were moments where it really opened up and felt more like a musical. Matt Lucas and Helen Walsh (stepping in for Marina Prior) as the Thénardiers seemed like the only performers regularly utilising the full stage, and the moments where other characters step to the very front are some of the most compelling of the show.

But Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular clearly telegraphs its intentions as a celebration primarily of the show’s music, made for those with undying love for the musical in their hearts. Les Mis has a lot of fans – the long standing ovation the show received is proof of that – and if you’re one of them, attending this show is a no-brainer.

Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular plays at the ICC Theatre until May 11, before touring Australia. For more info on performance times, click here.