Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain review: An insightful documentary from beyond the grave

4/5

Story:
Friends and family of the celebrity chef, travel documentarian, and writer, give their personal account of the man they knew and loved. The documentary offers several interviews, archival footage, and audio recordings of Bourdain himself.

Review:
The documentary opens with Bourdain’s monologue giving the viewers a disclaimer warning that there won’t be a happy ending by the end of the film. There is an air of impending tragedy similar to Kevin Spacey’s opening monologue in the feature film American Beauty. However, the documentary does not delve too much into Bourdain’s suicide right from the off, but celebrates his life as a young chef struggling to pay his rent, to a bestselling author, and a renowned travel documentarian. He hosted three different shows from the early 2000s to the late 2010s — A Cook’s Tour, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. His bestselling book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly was adapted into a fictional TV series, Kitchen Confidential, starring Bradley Cooper.

Director Morgan Neville has made excellent use of the vast library of footage and audio at his disposal thanks to Bourdain being a documentarian himself. The fact that Bourdain appears to serve as the narrator as a result of some clever editing in post-production adds a degree of ingenuity to the film’s overall aesthetic. This essentially gives the audience an experience of Bourdain addressing them from beyond the grave. Each aspect of his adult life is carefully recreated, from his two marriages, and to his high profile relationship with Asia Argento in his final years.

The documentary goes into great detail about how each of his three relationships would shape and evolve him as a man. His 30-year marriage with Nancy Putkoski, and his marriage with Ottavia Busia, with whom he also had a daughter, ended on relatively good terms. However, his relationship with Asia Argento is scrutinised by the documentary for several reasons — one of them being the fact that Argento was the face of the #MeToo movement against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, and the second being her alleged affair with another man that may have allegedly played a part in Bourdain’s suicide. However, it steers clear of allegations that Argento sexually assaulted a minor in 2013 — allegations that may have undermined the voices of those victimised by Weinstein.

The manner in which the documentary transitions from an upbeat depiction of Bourdain’s journey to various corners of the world to spiralling down to a darker take on death, mental health, and existential crisis is carefully paced. The editing and the right mix of interviews and archival footage lends the documentary its quality. Bourdain’s natural ability as a gifted storyteller is also instrumental in elevating the overall quality of the film. But its greatest strength is how it has approached the subject of Bourdain’s death and his final year with a sense of blunt honesty not often seen in documentaries attempting to celebrate the life of a man who was universally loved. But by no means does it vilify him, instead, it paints a picture of a man battling inner demons as a result of all the pain and suffering he has witnessed first-hand on his journeys over the years.

The final scenes of the documentary subtly deliver a powerful message on suicide. Bourdain’s friend David Choe points out that artists and celebrities who have taken their own lives have been glorified as heroic figures, implying that it glorifies the act itself. Helen Cho, one of Bourdain’s producers for over a decade, believes that while she adored the man, it was selfish of him to not think about the consequences of leaving his young daughter behind. In retrospect, the documentary is urging its viewers to understand the plight of those who need emotional support, especially if the feeling of loneliness and being alone in the world begins to weigh them down. His close friends, including renowned chef Éric Ripert, his family, and all those who knew him well, offer emotional tributes to the legend that was Anthony Bourdain.

Verdict:
The documentary is an engrossing tribute to a complex man, adored and admired, but deeply flawed in his own way. Director Morgan Neville has captured the essence of Bourdain’s life with nuance and integrity.