Chicago International Film Festival 2016: Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story

“Iron Chef.” “Unwrapped.” “Hell’s Kitchen.” It is rare that a person can be featured on so many shows and media. But one man had the talent, drive, and the hunger to make his creativity known in “Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story.” Directed by Brett Schwartz, the biography-documentary focuses on Homaro “Omar” Cantu Jr., a world-famous Chicago chef and inventor who helped put the city on the culinary map through his restaurant “Moto” and his approach to creating food through “molecular gastronomy.” However, Cantu’s life was not always a successful one, as the movie documents several hardships, such as being homeless twice and growing up in abusive households. But despite these odds, Cantu sought to look beyond his means and found a fascination for cooking at a young age. The film shows how he soared through the ranks of the culinary world, eventually working with other renowned chefs like Charlie Trotter and opening his own restaurant at 28. Furthermore, Cantu was a man that cared about his community and the world, and used his talents to provide food to those that were less fortunate. Overall, the documentary is done very well and gives a good overview of Cantu’s various successes, failures, struggles, joys, and his climb to not just become one of the best chefs in the world, but to reinvent food for the masses. With great interviews from people who worked with him, excellent shots showing the man at work in his professional and personal lives, and presenting a fine example of the human struggle to obtain a successful career, “Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story” is a film that inspires and directs the viewer to go beyond themselves and push forward in life, even in the face of uncertainty.

Grade: A-