Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
An intimate, behind-the-scenes look at how an anonymous chef became a world-renowned cultural icon. This unflinching look at Anthony Bourdain reverberates with his presence, in his own voice and in the way he indelibly impacted the world around him.
- Released:
- Runtime: 120 minutes
- Genre: Documentaries
- Stars: Anthony Bourdain, Nancy Bourdain, Joel Rose, Karen Rinaldi, Kim Witherspoon, Philippe Lajaunie, Tracey Westmoreland, Lydia Tenaglia, Christopher Collins, Eric Ripert, Chris Bourdain, Ottavia Bourdain, David Chang, Tom Vitale, Morgan Fallon, Helen M. Cho, Diane Schutz, Zach Zamboni, Michael Steed, Doug Quint, Joshua Homme, David Choe, Alison Mosshart, Iggy Pop, Asia Argento, John Lurie, Christopher Doyle
- Director: Morgan Neville
Comments
- PartTimeCritic - 27 February 2023
Informative but Still Distant Documentary
ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN (B): As long as I can remember, I always enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's travel/food shows. Sure, exotic places and food is great to see, but there was something about his cynical attitude, his willingness to call out BS where he saw it, that made him different from other hosts. Later I would realize that it was Anthony's willingness to embrace the idea that life often presents ambiguous and open-ended experiences that I related so strongly to. Even though Anthony wasn't a Christian (I am), I found much in common with him since we both could answer the question, "Do you see life's answers as complex and not easy" with "Yes!" Of course, we know that Anthony's life ended with suicide and this documentary is an attempt to sum up his life and what made him who he was. For those not familiar with Anthony, there's a nice educational aspect to this film. For those who are familiar with him, I think they might admit that the documentary wouldn't be something he fully would've appreciated. - vjwiarrz - 26 June 2022
I saw myself in Bourdain a few times... Hit close to home
I'd give it a 9, but I didn't like that there wasn't much development around Bourdain's "third act" and it all felt very much like pointing a finger to Asia Argento. Truth is probably a bit more nuanced than that, but I liked the film regardless. It was a good ride for me personally as well, since it was hard to decouple some of the themes from my own life. 8/10. - davestor - 12 April 2022
Inspiring and tragic
As the film charts Bourdain's rise, his personality inspires and delights, but around the halfway point the pain of knowing how it ends begins to intrude. Bourdain's psyche is laid out in telling detail: a lot of stuff that was not apparent to his admiring viewers and fans is revealed by those who knew him best -- the people who ran the road with him. In the end he was lost and unhappy with the choices he had made. It's a well-made film, and essential viewing for anyone who cared about the man.
