Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021) User Reviews

Exceptional portrait of a man

[CtlAltDel · 9/10 · 14 January 2022]

Bourdain is no Gandhi, Martin Luther King or Joan of Arc. He's not someone who made a stunning contribution to world history. He's a celebrity chef, food and travel writer. But he was a man with a high profile whose suicide baffled a lot of people, including myself, leaving us to wonder why.

This cleverly edited doco lays that out. Finding the answer is not at all easy but the filmmakers did find it. There was no cataclysmic moment but instead a build up and confluence of factors over many years. A man forever searching for IT, throwing himself into new things and new people only to find that for him they weren't IT and could never be IT. The fact is, there is no IT. Or perhaps IT, is something much more simple and yet profound, as Iggy Pop tells him at one point.

This doco will stay with me for a very long time - unlike a lot of films that I find almost instantly forgettable - and deserves repeat viewing. If you're fascinated by the psychology of individuals then it is a rewarding experience.

Side note: On the issue of using AI to replicate his voice in some parts, I have no issue. The words spoken are his and the filmmakers intentions are noble.

A personal, honest - albeit loving - look at and into the life of Anthony Bourdain and all the various detours it took.

[rannynm · 8/10 · 6 July 2021]

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is a personal, honest-albeit loving-look at and into the life of Anthony Bourdain and all the various detours it took. This documentary charts his journey from chef to writer to acclaimed TV host, as told by his closest friends, the people he worked with, and his family.

After an opening credits sequence that runs through the years leading up to Bourdain's career as a chef, Roadrunner begins its sprint in 1999 after he's secured a deal to write a book about his experiences in the restaurant world, Kitchen Confidential, the New York Times bestseller that would put Bourdain on the talk show circuit, and kickstart his ascent towards celebrity. In preparation for writing his second memoir, A Chef's Tour, he was approached by TV producers who pitched an ongoing series in tandem with the upcoming book, thus forming a partnership that would spawn multiple shows, win several Emmys and begin Bourdain's long tenure on television screens and secure his status as a world-famous traveler.

This film is a challenge on many levels. For starters, Bourdain's suicide is still a recent event in the public eye, and, I'm certain, a fresh wound for those who knew him. It's difficult to watch a feature-length story of someone's whole life, knowing that it's going to end so inevitably, suddenly, and sadly; however, Roadrunner succeeds by showing us Bourdain in his totality which balances the sadness of his inevitable end. And yet, audiences may find it unavoidable to wonder who he really was, along with his loved ones striving to answer the question: Who was Anthony Bourdain off-screen?

Roadrunner mirrors Bourdain's own frequent departures from home and journeys to parts unknown, taking us back and forth from his television world and his home life with his daughter. We see a conversation between Bourdain and a friend, where they discuss the paradox of wanting to return home when they're away, but immediately wanting to get back on the road when they get home. This tragic conversation gets right to the heart of the movie's title, Roadrunner, and just how reflective it was of Bourdain's own everyday life.

After a TV episode goes awry, Bourdain talks about his faltering belief in the power of the table at which we eat and share, yet Roadrunner becomes a testament to that power. Nearly every interview in the film is organized across a table, where deeply personal details and anecdotes from those who knew Bourdain are exchanged. Director Neville operates with a wealth of outtakes from his TV shows and all the excess footage of Bourdain's 20 years on screen, but it's these genuine moments with Bourdain's tribe that cut the deepest.

I give Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 15 to 18, plus adults, for mild language and strong themes throughout. Roadrunner lands in theaters on July 16, 2021. Reviewed by Benjamin P., KIDS FIRST!

something to chew on

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 15 July 2021]

Greetings again from the darkness. As the film begins, we understand there will be no happy ending. Anthony Bourdain committed suicide by hanging in 2018 at the age of 61. As it was reported, everyone was shocked. Oscar winning documentarian Morgan Neville (TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM, 2013) interviews those who knew him best, and by the end of the film, we are left wondering why these folks were shocked at how his demise.

Bourdain ... called Tony by those who knew him ... spent most of the last 20 years of his life with a camera focused on him, so director Neville allows Bourdain to tell much of his own story. "I got very lucky" is how he explains turning a dishwasher job into the position of Chef at Brasserie Les Halles on Park Avenue in New York, and then evolving into an author, talk show guest, and host of TV travel and culinary shows.

Perhaps you read Bourdain's first book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly", or maybe you know him from one of his four TV shows where he traveled around the globe eating strange food and exploring unusual cultures. Then again, to some, he'll always be known as the guy who was filmed eating a live cobra heart. All of those bits are discussed here, but the real interesting segments occur as others talk about the man they knew/loved/worked with.

Bourdain's second wife Ottavio, his brother, his friends, his agent, and his production crew are all interviewed here and are surprisingly forthcoming in their recollections and insight into Tony. We even see clips of Bourdain with his daughter, though she is not interviewed. The descriptions add up to a complicated guy. A natural storyteller who was a control freak and hard on those he worked with. Yet he was also charming, immensely intelligent and articulate, and eager to make satisfying TV. He also comes across a bit lost as a person most of the time, never more than when he's filmed asking Iggy Pop, "What thrills you?" There is even a segment with Tony in a session with his therapist.

The film, and Bourdain himself, don't shy away from his addictive nature. He admits to a drug problem when he was younger, and for the rest of his life he jumped from one non-drug related addiction to another. His personal life seemed to take a turn when he fell for Italian actress Asia Argento and he became an advocate for the #MeToo movement. His tragic end is discussed, and maybe those closest to him were simply too close to see what seems obvious to us now. Director Neville uses no shortage of archival footage and photos, but it's the personal interviews that strike the emotional chord here. Two films, APOCALYPSE NOW and VIOLENT CITY apparently had a dramatic impact on Bourdain, and though the end is tragic, his legacy as an adventurous storyteller lives on.

In theaters on July 16, 2021.

Go see Roadrunner. You deserve it.

[FelixisaJerk · 10/10 · 16 July 2021]

It's impossible for me to review this documentary without bias. Anthony Bourdain has inspired me more than anyone on this planet (filmmaker Kevin Smith is up there as well, but this isn't about him). When I was a child, I religiously (more cultishly if I am being honest) watched his shows, vicariously living through this skinny punk rock, foul mouthed, cigarette devouring force.

I saw the way he talked to people, all people and studied how he listened, how he asked questions, how he made sure people knew they were actually heard. Watched how language barriers were leapt over, cultural differences were celebrated and how food and drink were a catalyst for love, honesty and for a sense of community.

I grew up in poverty yet following Anthony, to all corners of the world and seeing real places with real history, meeting folks with real stories, who came from and lived in conditions that made my shabby duplex look like the Ritz Carlton. It was transformative. It was escapism yet absolutely grounded in the real world.

I'd read his books and be drawn to a truly unique voice. I'd fall under a spell driven by a deeply compulsive, page turning, "I can't put this down" frenzy. I'd never read stories more relatable yet fantastical, hilarious, sad, and positively sobering. Critically important, emotional lessons for the writer, filmmaker, chef, and person I knew I was destined to become.

I read Kitchen Confidential and got a job as a dishwasher that same summer, then once I had a bit of money I'd watch No Reservations or Parts Unknown and before I knew it I was on a plane to China, then Europe, then China again. I even tried to film my own, one man crew, travel show in Jiujiang. The results? Disastrous, but I am still proud of the attempt.

Roadrunner is exactly the film I hoped it would be. The film I needed it to be. It didn't show us some hidden side of Anthony. It didn't make him out to be anything he isn't. That is impossible. Bourdain showed us the realness from day one. No film, book, documentary, podcast, review- anything-can ever change that.

Director Morgan Neville caught my attention with his 2018 documentary about Fred Rogers (Won't You Be My Neighbor?). He just shows the footage, his questions aren't set up with some hidden agenda, he lets the subjects and cast speak for themselves. That's the exact brilliant documentary filmmaking Roadrunner is fueled by.

The best part of Anthony's inner circle? They all have so much to say. The powerful, beautiful, wondrous impact this man's life had on them yet the devastating, painful, frustrating crater-sized hole his death left in them.

Roadrunner covers that. It has to. But it largely celebrates Tony's life. I didn't cry during the film, I got a lump in my throat but was able to stay composed. The interviews and footage are dazzling and engaging. I was too fascinated to cry. Too eager to see more, I came prepared (with six neatly folded kleenex in my pocket) but refused to let my emotions distract me from my viewing experience-then the credits rolled. Left alone in my own head to process what I just saw. Emotion came over me like a crushing wave. I felt lucky to make it to the car, to sit there and let myself feel it.

And that, is good filmmaking.

Bourdain showed me the world, showed us the world with his incredible story telling, sharp wit, sarcasm and humor. He found a way to shrink the globe, while making every place he went to seem as vast and important as any other. It was delicious food, a sense of community and humor that linked the planet, nothing else matters. He showed it was possible and attainable to get there, just buy a ticket. Stop lying to yourself, stop talking about it, stop dreaming about it and just make it happen.

Go see Roadrunner. You deserve it.

Suicide is preventable, there are resources, there are outlets, there are ways to get better. Check in on your friends and family, make the effort. You never really know who will need it, you just might save a life.

Wild ride of emotions

[jellopuke · 9/10 · 13 September 2021]

This was an honest and at times brutally unflinching look at a very famous person who had a very enigmatic end. It will make you feel lots and miss the man more, but it's doesn't answer anything and leaves you feeling both sad at what happened, but glad that you were there for the ride.

Still miss him, his show was so great... This is very much worth seeing.

Outstanding insight into a remarkable celebrity.

[JohnDeSando · 17 July 2021]

Roadrunner: A Film about Anthony Bourdain is not the documentary you thought it might be. It is not a fluff piece of praise about arguably the most famous celebrity chef of this century, nor does it claim to explain why he committed suicide at age 61. What it does do is thrill with his charisma, a personal magnetism that makes this tall, handsome man taller than anyone else in the room.

From the moment his Kitchen Confidential hit the streets and became an instant New York Times best seller, the food world had an apologist for its greatness and a foodie realist who trumpeted the greatness of eating around the world. Not even tales of his heroin addiction could dissuade food lovers from making him the emblem of in-your-face food fashion. Home videos of him at times such as when he berates a fishmonger in front of Bourdain's Park Ave steak house, Les Halles, are endearing.

As the doc depicts him, he is almost more interested in how a nation's cuisine mirrors its culture than the actual nature of the food itself. If fish is the Japanese signature food, then how it is presented is more important than the fish. He is roguish and bad-ass, not Batali or Emeril.

The doc is itself more interested in spying on Bourdain or tracking him walking and talking than it is in how he helps his or someone else's restaurant attain star ratings. Director Morgan Neville has found the most charming footage, much of it outtakes from the hundreds of hours of him at play and occasionally at work on his celebrated cable shows. The kerfuffle about their using a bot for some of his narration is interesting but does not compromise the overall Bourdain depiction.

The most fascinating "at play" is his intriguing love affairs with his second wife, Ottavia, and Italian actress Asia Argento, who eventually leaves him for another man and us to wonder if that split is the cause of his final act (he hung himself in a hotel room in 2018). Lamentably this great writer left no note to help us understand that inscrutable act.

To its credit, the documentary makes no claims to know why but neatly allows voice overs to make insightful, if not superficial, conclusions that this peripatetic celebrity could not find his place in even the most exotic places on earth. Ironically, Bourdain claimed to be an open book about his talent and his demons, but really never allowed the latter to reveal themselves or explain his exit.

My own inference from the tantalizing details of this outstanding documentary is that, like Hemingway, Plath, and Robin Williams, to name only three famous suicides, his talent and his charm overwhelmed even him, to the extent that they were crushing the real Tony out of existence. He never knew himself well enough to be able to save himself.

Who knows? The doc does well, anyway, showing the daily thrills of Bourdain, how much he loved people more than food, and how restless his soaring talent was. In the end, he may have been too gifted to be able to live with himself. And that's what I thought about Hemingway as well. Great gifts require great care lest they destroy.

Roadrunner: The Life of Anthony Bourdain is a fascinating study of a celebrated chef who was far more interesting than the food he celebrated.

Kinetic but somewhat flawed analysis of an outstanding foodie

[bastille-852-731547 · 6/10 · 16 July 2021]

As someone who loves great food and travel, I've always been interested in celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's unique perspectives on global cuisine. I truly could not believe it when it was reported that he committed suicide in 2018-it happened so suddenly, and just felt like a nearly personal tragedy to those of us who appreciated his wisdom. This documentary is able to provide a sensitive portrait of Bourdain's life, but it sometimes feels a bit less than the sum of its parts.

After a brief introduction, the documentary begins to discuss Bourdain's initial upbringing and accession to culinary prominence, including the popular book "Kitchen Confidential." From there, attention is then paid to his frequent world travels, although much of the rest of the film is not really chronological. Bourdain spent a large chunk of his time traveling, and his understanding of the world and its rich cuisines are liminal parts of his worldview. This footage-juxtaposed with relevant interviews compiled by Neville in the wake of Bourdain's tragic death-is generally well-edited and impactful. The cinematography is generally very strong, and the film's pacing is quite brisk. Viewers are able to empathize with Bourdain as well as the extreme sense of loss and grief felt by those who were very close to him. As a result, the emotional connection with a deep understanding of Bourdain's romantic worldview and affinity for great cuisine and travels make the film generally worthwhile viewing for those with a high degree of interest in its subject. However, "Roadrunner" does have some notable flaws. The documentary sometimes suffers from a lack of cohesion between certain segments, and some portions almost feel a bit incomplete. Other snippets of the film don't directly relate to key details of Bourdain's personality or career, and thus feel that they could have been left on the cutting room floor. The other key concern with the film is the (unnecessarily) significant amount of emphasis on Bourdain's third girlfriend, who is portrayed in an extremely negative light, complete with sometimes-bleak-sounding music playing. Given the depth of Bourdain's mental anguish at this time and the difficulties anyone-even the most loving partner-would have had in helping someone that hurt, this seems improper and a bit outlandish. It also doesn't really change much of how the audience directly perceives of Bourdain himself by watching the documentary, who we understand as brilliant at his craft yet deeply and tragically troubled. Yet the stronger elements of this film promise to keep Bourdain's legacy alive, even in the face of the tragedy of his loss. 6.5/10.

Life catches up with culinary icon.

[michaelRokeefe · 8/10 · 17 April 2022]

He had a larger-than-life personality, adventurous spirit and love of food. Working every job in a professional kitchen, Anthony Bourdain became a culinary force to be reckoned with.

After tasting a freshly caught oyster, the celebrity chef began chronicling his experiences in the "culinary underbelly" before describing fabulous foods while traveling the globe 27 times. Bourdain was always candid about his addictions to heroin, cocaine and use of LSD.

Bourdain struggled with his personal demons most of his life and thought of suicide in his most bluest of times. On June 8, 2018, the icon was found dead in a French hotel. His obvious suicide toxicology report showed no trace of any narcotics.

This is a rather insightful, loving and personal look at Anthony Bourdain's inspired, but troubled life.

Not enough depth

[keikoyoshikawa · 6/10 · 17 December 2021]

This was a good attempt at showing a flawed but talented man who brought joy on TV to a lot of people. But ultimately it was too superficial for us to really get a good sense of who he was or why he killed himself.

The latter may not be as important to us the audience - of course it is of the utmost importance to his family. But the film does not also help us with the former. Yes, we get it that he's talented but flawed, but I felt there were more depths to be explored about him that the film only touched upon at the surface.

A Joyous Journey With The Master

[tkdlifemagazine · 9/10 · 9 June 2022]

This is a brilliant documentary on the adult life and success of Anthony Bourdain, warts and all. I found myself mesmerized by his charismatic charm and his authentic, complicated nature as a "mediocre cook" to a global book and television sensation. The film has great historical footage which showcase this wild ride. The film also is filled with interviews of people that knew and worked with Tony. These folks clearly loved and admired him, but were very forthcoming about the challenges of working with Tony. The film is good film making. Not too long. It is well structured and well made-unlike many modern, so called, documentaries. The look at Bourdain in the light of Conrad and Colonel Kurtz is brilliant. The film starts out, in Tony's own words, telling you the story will not have a happy ending. The story night not have a happy ending, but the ride is joyous.

Liked his show not Asia

[celt007 · 7/10 · 11 August 2021]

Too bad Asia Argento was such a "see you next Tuesday", Poor Anthony loved her and she was not discreet and he went down hill after meeting her. She was so bad for him he was such a talent she was not. Wish someone was there for you .

Goodbye

[tabithahenricksen · 9/10 · 17 July 2021]

This doc is well put together and very beautiful at times. It uses bits of audio book narration, clips from various Bourdain shows, previous press pieces, home movies, friend and family interviews and more - to tell the tale of someone that has fascinated many, myself included.

I picked up the audio book of Kitchen Confidential nearly a decade after it came out. I was a young mom who needed the escapism of a story in my ear to survive my dead end job. Tony gave me all of that and more. I listened to that book and Medium Raw, when it came out, over and over. I rocked babies at night to them, I typed hours of data into spreadsheets to them, I knew which chapters to listen to when I had had a bad day or needed to get motivated for a long day ahead. My commute was full of Bourdain and his voice became a comfort blanket. I watched the brief narrative TV show so many times I am frankly surprised some network didn't consider it for a reboot. I turn on one of his travel shows and fall asleep to it when I now travel for work. And I don't think I'm alone in that. I think Tony meant a lot to a lot of people for a lot of reasons.

This film can feel voyeuristic and terrible if you are just mildly curious about Bourdain. This might not have been made for you. Who it was made for is people who needed a safe place to mourn with someone who also cared for a person. If you feel like an idiot mourning a person you never really knew - join the club. But I think the beauty of Tony is that he let us know him in some way that made us also feel known. I needed to mourn the loss of my friend and maybe you do too.

A worthy view of a troubled genius

[RileyReviewsUK · 7/10 · 7 August 2021]

Up front, I'll admit to being a HUGE fan of Bourdain, and, like many, was devastated when the news broke he had completed suicide in 2018 while on location for his show "Parts Unknown".

I was a little worried about the thought of a documentary, even more so when I found that artificial intelligence (AI) had been used to reproduce the mans voice. Could a computer ever have the warmth, wit and sly sarcasm that Bourdain could impart when needed to emphasise something in his usual voice overs?

As it was, I needn't have worried.

Produced and directed by Academy award winner Morgan Neville, this is an absorbing look at the life of a very personal and introverted chef, who was thrust into the limelight after writing the bestselling book "Kitchen Confidential".

Tracing his career from before the book, and with interviews with those who knew him best, this is a documentary that pulls no punches and is at times even capable of drawing tears from even this grizzled old critic.

The AI model of Bourdain's voice was employed so that the film could emulate him reciting words that he had written, but for which no recordings of him speaking exist, such as an email he had written to friend David Choe. Neville said there were two other such uses of the technology in the film, but refused to specify what they were, stating, "If you watch the film [...] you probably don't know what the other lines are that were spoken by the A. I., and you're not going to know. We can have a documentary-ethics panel about it later." I'm given to understand Bourdain's estate and literary agent were happy with the use of the AI, so the ethical debate can be put to bed for this particular work. As for its use in other works, that will be looked at on a case by case basis, but in my view, Neville made a superb job here.

I have to say, I have no idea which other two sections were spoken by the AI, it's that good at replicating his voice.

This is a really intimate work. Bourdain was more than the travel writer he became, and indeed, towards the end of his life had begun to suffer with agoraphobia to a degree, and this is handled with real sensitivity, as are his relationships with his first wife, Nancy Putkoski and his second wife, and mother of his daughter, Ariane, Ottavia Busia.

Bourdains well documented early battle with substance abuse is here. He was always open and honest about his battles, both with drugs and depression.

This is a film that doesn't feel like its invading his privacy, or that of his family and friends, but is more like one of his shows. It has that Bourdain "touch" that all his shows had. Credit for that goes to Neville.

Bourdain's loss is still a very raw and open wound to his family, but that they participated in this work is of immense credit to them, for it's drawing on the memories of those who knew him best while these memories are still fresh is what makes this such an interesting piece. His friendship with Josh Homme for instance is one where they bonded over having daughters, and its plain to see just how much Homme misses his friend and talks about the things they were going to do together and now won't be able to.

Never one to shy away from controversy while alive, this film treads a fine line between reverence and tact when discussing not only his life, but his attitude to the human condition as a whole. Neville is not scared to include the actor Asia Argento with whom Bourdain had a relationship with and who publicly told the world she had been raped by Harvey Weinstein, and looking at how her advocacy of the #MeToo movement and the allegation of sexual assault by her on actor Jimmy Bennett affected him personally.

It was refreshing to watch a documentary that didn't feel afraid to show it's subject in an unkind light at times, as Bourdain wasn't a saint.

Neville has made a compelling and watching documentary that should garner one or two awards nods, if not wins.

4*/5.

This film commits cinematic suicide

[jmimdb-1 · 4/10 · 17 July 2021]

Tony Bourdain was an interesting character. Bourdain committed suicide. Roadrunner was shaping up to be a mildly interesting film about Bourdain. Then it committed cinematic suicide. I'm not talking about the initially unacknowledged deep fake audio snippets, I'm talking about the last 30 minutes of the film where Direct Neville treats us to a non-stop pity party with painfully pathetic footage of Bourdain's family, friends, and colleagues weepy recounting their pain at his passing. Neville's pandering to this sad pathos is evidence that he really has nothing new to contribute to this story. Bourdain's suicide is the least interesting thing about him.

Ghosts

[danielcereto · 10/10 · 9 January 2022]

I discovered Anthony Bourdain on 2018. I started to watch Parts Unknow and discovered a magnificent show about traveling, food, and life.

Tony was a great storyteller and he had something that only a few people have, charisma.

After watching this film I understand he was fighting his whole life against his demons, addictions and loneliness. This documentary is a must to understand how mental health issues are pretty dangerous.

Did they miss something?

[flyfishanywx · 8/10 · 18 October 2021]

Sensitive subject! Anthony Bourdain travelled to many many exotic and toxic places, He had to be prescribed an anti malaria drug. It is a fact that one of them is a killer - Mefloquine . If you have any trauma PTSD, addictions, altered brain chemistry etc...it can and will mess with your head.

My wife and I loved the movie and Anthony, we just wonder did they miss something .....

Entertaining, but ethically iffy.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 5 August 2022]

Early on in 'Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)', the director is challenged by an interviewee who asks how he's going to make this documentary considering that Anthony Bourdain ended his own life. The director's response is that he isn't interested in his subject's death, he's interested in what made him the way he was. However, most of the film does, indeed, centre itself on the tragedy that brought Bourdain's life to an end. It spends way too long speculating as to why he did what he did, comes uncomfortably close to laying the blame on Asia Argento and features awkward AI readings of its star's very personal private emails (it's bad enough they're even shared here, never mind that they're read in an approximation of his posthumous voice). Skipping over Bourdain's early career and pre-fame life, the piece barrels head first into an examination of his foray into television and the ways in which his newfound fame didn't always suit him. The picture has an energetic aesthetic that makes good use of stock footage and audio, mixing these with a slick soundtrack and to-camera interviews with those who knew its subject best. It's typically well-paced and remains engaging for its slightly too-long duration. Despite its surface success, though, it does leave a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. This is especially true in retrospect, as its emotional manipulation and lacking morals become more evident the more you think about them. A lot of its interviewees come off in kind of a bad light, and the documentary itself often borders on exploitative. Comments made by the director after the film's release about his use of AI almost erase any of benefit of the doubt you may be tempted to afford him after first realising the documentary isn't quite as ethical as it ought to be. It shouldn't be understated that this is, indeed, an entertaining - albeit increasingly downbeat -experience. It does a good job of keeping you interested in its subject, though you'd be better off watching his actual work, and occasionally it crafts a genuinely touching moment. There's a lot to like about it, but it's hard to fully recommend given its underlying misgivings. The more I think about it, the less I like it. The director's own mission statement - as described during the aforementioned early interview - is missed by a mile, which kind of makes the entire endeavour a failure. Still, it's an entertaining failure. It's decent surface-level stuff, but make sure to watch it with a critical eye. It doesn't do its subject much justice.

An inside look at an enigmatic genius

[belleauwood · 10/10 · 15 July 2021]

As I am watching the virtual advanced viewing, the words I keep coming back to are enigmatic genius. This brazen, sarcastic, difficult, demanding man clearly loved deeply and was deeply loved. Introverted, shy, talk show superstar, Bourdain was the ultimate professional perfectionist who embraced change and the unknown.

There is so much great footage, Anthony (or Tony as he is often referred to) is able to posthumously tell his own story. This is a man who was able to channel an addictive personality into productive, thrill seeking storytelling - and we were able to vicariously travel the world with him. I learned so much from him through the years. He is one of the very best storytellers we have ever been blessed with.

I am not sure I learned much new about him, but I loved every minute of watching this. If anything pleasantly surprised me, it was his religious conversation with Eric where he said that he tried to emulate Christ each day.

My primary takeaway - Despite having an unusually challenging and sometimes annoying personality, Anthony was truly special and unique. You can tell that the people fortunate to spend time with him (man, woman, and child) all seem to be in love with this complex man (deeper than a casual love - you can see it in their eyes and hear it in their words and voices). It is remarkable that he felt like he wasn't loved.

And as huge as his personality was, like any great journalist, people truly talked to him because he truly listened, was interested, and empathized. As is common with true genius, he burned bright hot and scorched his path through this world, our hearts, and our minds.

I have had a hard time accepting that he really committed suicide, but this move shows the path. Even though you know the ending in advance, it is still very powerful. The movie is also full of great lines and insights - maybe watch it with a notepad in hand!

There were lots of tears watching this. I miss his show being part of my life, and somehow, the re-runs just don't cut it.

Sad and depressing!

[diazaraceli · 7/10 · 28 July 2021]

The movie focuses primarily on the early years of his television career on a Cook's Tour on the Food Network and the very end of his career on CNN's Part's Unknown. It completely ignores his time on the Travel Channel's No Reservations show, which was the show that gave him worldwide fame. The documentary also ignored his early years as a chef! They did not interview any of his coworkers who worked alongside him in the hot, busy kitchen, before he became famous! May he rest in peace!

ROADRUNNER shines a light on fast life, tragic death of Anthony Bourdain

[LisaLR1 · 8/10 · 22 July 2021]

"ROADRUNNER: A Film About Anthony Bourdain," directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville ("20 Feet from Stardom"), shines a light on the fast life and tragic death by suicide in 2018 of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. The documentary accomplishes this using archival footage from Bourdain's hit television shows, "No Reservations," "Parts Unknown," "The Layover," "A Cook's Tour," along with interviews with him beginning in 1999 as he began writing his best selling book, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." The film also includes interviews with various Bourdain family, friends and work colleagues. The grief of his loss is still very raw, evidence of this shown through the interviews in the documentary, leaving the audience with many theories and unanswered questions as to why Anthony Bourdain chose to commit suicide. Much like Bourdain was in life, the film never stops moving, taking you along for the accelerated journey of a man who was inventive, tempestuous, extraordinary, and deeply flawed.

Pissed, I guess

[Jonbendel · 6/10 · 12 June 2022]

Dude was a big part of my tv/literary life.. used to dig Asia.. but for some reason I just hate her guts... But what the fuck do I know.

Miss him... hate him for checking out.

I Grew Old Watching Anthony!

[carlschottphd · 10/10 · 16 July 2021]

Seeing this movie convinced me that it was time well spent. It's sad, but in a way not surprising that he did not grow old. The movie is well worth seeing. It's definitely not a popcorn movie but one to sit and contemplate.

Insightful documentary about Anthony Bourdain

[paul-allaer · 7/10 · 17 July 2021]

As "Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" (2021 release; 115 min.) opens, Bourdain talks about how he wants/hopes to be remembered after he dies. We then hear one of the many talking heads: "A little bit of pre-emptive truth-telling: there is no happy ending here". And with that we are off on a whirlwind tour of the life and times of Anthony Bourdain, the erstwhile celebrity chef-turned NYT bestselling author-turned TV world travel host.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from Oscar-winning Morgan Neville ("20 Feet From Stardom", "Won't You Be My Neighbor"). Here he delves into what drove Bourdain to do what he did. For some (like myself), we associate Bourdain with his bestselling "Kitchen Confidential", but others may associate him more with his long running TV travel shows. I have never seen any of these TV shows. Morgen seemingly was given unfettered access to previously unseen footage, including home recordings (on smart phones). The big picture that eventually emerges is a complicated one, even a dark one. Bourdain asks a friend at some point: "You are successful. Yet are you happy?" Talk about a loaded question! The documentary gets better as it moves along, Yet at the same time, one must ask: what do you call a man who takes his own life and leaves behind a young daughter? I find it very troubling myself.

"Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" premiered at last month's Tribeca film festival to immediate critical acclaim. It opened in theaters this weekend. The early Saturday evening screening where I saw this at my local art0hous theatre here in Cincinnati was attended very nicely (a quick count of about 35-40 people). If you were/are a fan of Anthony Bourdain, or simply are in the mood for an insightful documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

The Mind of most Succesfull Travel food writer Sucks.

[lake-48639 · 4/10 · 16 July 2021]

The most important connection of his early life before his success was lacking. Tony was a historian rebel storyteller and you get nothing about his early years. You just get a brief view of his childhood and early life and then it's off to the races with his success. The movie left me uninspired and sad. It makes you feel like your trapped in his Celebrity mindset and left me feeling sadness and ripped off for following his career all these years.

Heartbreaking tribute

[Truthfan · 9/10 · 6 June 2022]

Anthony was and is still my favourite "celebrity". Watching his shows was an escape for me as I'm sure it was for many others. He was given an opportunity to use his gift of writing to celebrate a human experience that most would want. I'm glad he had the nerve to do it. But this is also a story about mental illness. No matter how successful you are, you are not immune to it. That is what we should all take away from his story.