Funke (2019)
I feel the need to preface this review by saying despite loving food I am not by any means caught up with the food world or politics of Los Angeles so going into this movie I had never heard of pasta connoisseur Evan Funke or his once wildly popular and acclaimed restaurant Bucato which ended in disaster after a mismanagement of the money the restaurant was bringing in. Now with a new fire behind him fueled by the defeat of Bucato, Funke is back opening a new restaurant where he hopes he can share his intense love of pasta for the foreseeable future.

Like I said I had really no exposure to this world prior to this film and if there is one thing it really accomplishes it iLike I said I had really no exposure to this world prior to this film and if there is one thing it really accomplishes it is bringing you on the ride of the LA Food world. This is a cutthroat place where second chances are not common and Evan Funke feels plenty of pressure has got one. It is clear to him that this could be his last chance which not only threatens his career but the bigger picture he is fighting for. Evan has a passion for handmaking pasta having spent tons of time in Italy learning the craft and wants to pass this knowledge on and keep this tradition that is dying alive. If he fails he sees this not only hurting himself but the industry as a whole. From this aspect, the film does have quite a bit of good weight to it as you really do want this chef to be happy and succeed. I do wish though that we would learn more about Funke from a more holistic perspective. Really everything we learn about him is from the perspective of him as a chef and I would have liked to see more from him as a person.
Especially as the film isn't afraid to question him. Very boldly we see critics of Funke who have real issues with him like some of his staff from Bucato who felt betrayed when he left the restaurant. Most documentaries like this would not be bold enough to include these ideas especially as they never give a rebuttal which actually made me respect the documentary a bit. It isn't trying to hide anything bad or wrong with this story, it shows the ups and downs of Evan Funke and his career in Los Angeles. With that said though it is quite full of itself, first, if you are not really that interested in pasta there is that wall to jump over as the film clearly has a passion for it but also in building up Evan Funke even directly he claims he is the best. There are multiple times where the movie comes off feeling arrogant and unlikeable cocky when talking about the skill of Funke.
Overall though I did enjoy Funke, it is an interesting look at this world that most will never see and does draw you in enough to where you are invested come to the end of the movie when his new restaurant Felix in Venice finally opens. Sure it is full of itself and can be a bit unlikeable for it especially in the beginning but overall I would say the film is fair enough that it doesn't praise Funke blindly. It openly acknowledges his downfalls and struggles but also uses them as vehicles to show growth and add to the overall narrative that Funke goes through. Despite seeing this as part of the 2019 San Diego Film Festival, Funke is available right now on Hulu and if you are a fan of cooking I would recommend you give it a go.
Especially as the film isn't afraid to question him. Very boldly we see critics of Funke who have real issues with him like some of his staff from Bucato who felt betrayed when he left the restaurant. Most documentaries like this would not be bold enough to include these ideas especially as they never give a rebuttal which actually made me respect the documentary a bit. It isn't trying to hide anything bad or wrong with this story, it shows the ups and downs of Evan Funke and his career in Los Angeles. With that said though it is quite full of itself, first, if you are not really that interested in pasta there is that wall to jump over as the film clearly has a passion for it but also in building up Evan Funke even directly he claims he is the best. There are multiple times where the movie comes off feeling arrogant and unlikeable cocky when talking about the skill of Funke.
Overall though I did enjoy Funke, it is an interesting look at this world that most will never see and does draw you in enough to where you are invested come to the end of the movie when his new restaurant Felix in Venice finally opens. Sure it is full of itself and can be a bit unlikeable for it especially in the beginning but overall I would say the film is fair enough that it doesn't praise Funke blindly. It openly acknowledges his downfalls and struggles but also uses them as vehicles to show growth and add to the overall narrative that Funke goes through. Despite seeing this as part of the 2019 San Diego Film Festival, Funke is available right now on Hulu and if you are a fan of cooking I would recommend you give it a go.