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Tony: Movie Review

“Tony” movie poster

Tony: Movie Review

By Leo Racicot

I can’t say I ever had much of an interest in author, world traveler, culinary supernova, Anthony Bourdain. His Kitchen Confidential thug demeanor was a turn-off. Though he hit the nail on-the-head with his portrayal of how crude, rude and crass kitchen workers can be (I’ve worked in busy food prep kitchens and can attest to his characterization of them), I couldn’t relate to them personally and couldn’t relate to Bourdain.

No, I was eager to see the new movie, Tony, a biopic about Bourdain’s early years working in a rowdy Provincetown restaurant galley, for one reason only; to see the latest work of Dominic Sessa, who was so very good in The Holdovers a couple of years back. His performance in that now well-established holiday favorite is one I’ve watched over-and-over again, even outside of the Christmas season. That Sessa was plucked out of a group of other unknowns by director Alexander Payne from his fellow Deerfield Academy acting classmates to play conflicted student Angus Tully is a testament to the raw, untested power of his acting skills. In The Holdovers Sessa more than holds his own against the accomplished veteran actor, Paul Giamatti. At the time, I wondered if Sessa was a mere flash-in-the- pan, if his successful star-making turn as Angus would carry over to new projects. Plus, Tony, being about cooking and food, did draw me to the box office where I witnessed Sessa once again bringing his considerable skills, his soulful eyes, his dark curly mop of hair with its appealing 1970s retro vibe, his lanky frame to recreate the young, fiery, just-setting-out-to-find-himself Anthony Bourdain. I find there’s an early Al Pacino quality about Sessa. Like Pacino, he can appear calm, pensive then all-of-a-sudden explode in a fiery burst of flame. He more than does right by Bourdain playing the young chef-to-be as a confused, searching wiseass punk whose M.O, at least when he’s starting out on his life’s journey, is to lie, lie, lie to everyone about everything. Sessa, who was so brilliant portraying adolescent angst in The Holdovers here ignites the screen with the same kind of intensity. I like his young Bourdain more than I liked the real Bourdain which is saying a lot about the skill Sessa brings to his scenes, his intensity countered with an appealing vulnerability brings genuine power to the story. Industry predictors are already talking Oscar buzz for this performance.

Adding to the film’s appeal is the always watchable Antonio Banderas. A perennially likeable actor, he brings a soulful, caring vibe to the role of the chef who takes a lost, homeless Tony into his home and into his restaurant, mentoring him in the ways of kitchen work. The way he wakes Tony up early each morning so Tony can make it on time to work is hilarious. I have to say though, and have been saying this for years, that usually I have little to no idea what the heavily-accented Banderas is saying. When he first burst on movie screens in the 1980s in several of Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s films, all audiences had to contend with was subtitles.

Newcomer Leo Woodall made me sit up in my seat. I’d heard his name bandied about in various projects but had never seen him in any of them. He’s a very fine actor, nearly steals the movie in every scene he’s in, playing Tony’s chaotic line cook friend, Sal, a rowdy who introduces Tony to the wild side of Provincetown summer life: sex, brawls, drugs. When his character leaves the story mid-way, he is missed. I kept wishing he’d return. I won’t be surprised if he, too, is nominated for recognition come awards time. I’ve since caught up with other of his performances in Prime Target & Tuner, a heist thriller with Dustin Hoffman, and he is very, very good. I hear the James Bond franchise is keeping its eye on him to play the next 007.

Tony. A satisfying afternoon at the movies. A second coup for Dominic Sessa who we’re sure to be seeing more of in the years ahead.

Seen & Heard: Vol. 36

A weekly report on things I’ve read, heard and seen since last Wednesday. 

Exhibit: The Great Elephant Migration. This is a temporary public art display on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall from Dartmouth to Fairfield Streets in Boston. It depicts 100 life sized elephants sculpted in India from plant materials. The exhibit is free but will only be there until this Saturday, September 12. Each sculpture is based on a living elephant so you have big bulls and matriarchs and smaller adolescents and babies. Here’s how the exhibit website explains its purpose: “The herd is here to share their story of coexistence; that there is room for all of us on this planet. We hope this exhibition reminds us of the awe we feel when in the company of wild, free animals and inspires us to better share our world with them.” I visited the display last Sunday morning and especially enjoyed being among a very diverse crowd of people wandering amongst the elephants, taking selfies, gazing at the individual sculptures and how they interacted with each other as part of the herd. 

Obituary: “Dolly Parton, Superstar Whose Songs Spoke to Millions, Dies at 80.” By Bill Friskics-Warren, New York Times, August 25, 2026. For as long as I can remember, anytime I heard Dolly Parton sing, watched her on TV or in a movie, or read about her in a newspaper or magazine, I got a good feeling. From the outpouring of positive comments from across the American spectrum, it seems that most people had the same response. I especially respected her philanthropy, particularly her “Imagination Library” which has provided something like 200 million books to children in an effort to develop the habit of reading. I also appreciated her help finding a Covid-19 vaccine including being one of the first to get jabbed while in a very public venue to set the example that all should receive it. People in public life, whether they be athletes, performers or politicians, would be advised to study how she interacted with others and how she handled potentially divisive issues in a way that always showed respect and compassion. 

Article: “Study Links Brain Disease to at Least 1 in 4 in NFL” by John Branch in New York Times, August 26, 2026. The phrase “at least” is doing a lot of work here. Between 2016 and 2021, 878 former NFL players died. Researchers examined the brains of 235 of them for evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (better known as CTE), a condition only detectable after death. Of the 235 brains examined, 215 of them had CTE. Perhaps a better headline would be that 94.5 percent of the brains of deceased former NFL players that were examined had CTE. But the way the Times frames it is accurate, even though many of the brains that were not examined might also have CTE. The great American novelist Upton Sinclair once wrote, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” It seems abundantly clear that playing tackle football causes this debilitating and life-shortening brain injury in many players, yet because of the great fortune involved in pro football, partly for the players but mostly going to the billionaire owners and the billionaire-owned media companies that televise the games, no one will seriously contemplate not playing football, which is a tragedy. One mystery is why do some former players get CTE while others, who had plenty of hits to the head, do not. Researchers theorize that there is some gene that protects people who have it from this condition. If that gene can ever be identified – which it hasn’t been yet – perhaps a screening test could permit only those not susceptible to CTE to continue to play. But that would likely cut into the profits so it’s unlikely to happen. 

Article: “A Fragile Treasure Endures a Sojourn” by Alex Marshall, New York Times, August 23, 2026. This article is about the Bayeux Tapestry, a 900 year old, 220 foot long stretch of fabric that depicts the Battle of Hastings in the year 1066. Throughout that time it has resided in the town of Bayeux, France, which is on the Normandy Peninsula, just 15 miles from Omaha Beach. Despite repeated requests from Britain to display it temporarily in that country, the French government and the tapestry’s custodians never relented – until this year. Now, from September 11, 2026, through July 11, 2027, the tapestry will be displayed in the British Museum in London. If you want to go, be advised that tickets are sold out through the end of this year. I had the good fortune to see the tapestry in Bayeux in 2004 on a family trip to Normandy. The exterior of the building that housed it was unremarkable, and the interior was quite dark to help preserve the fabric and its colors. The tapestry was stretched on the wall along three sides of the building behind protective glass. It’s like a graphic novel that ends with the Anglo-Saxon king of Britain dying from an arrow through the eye, and William the Conqueror, a Norman from Normandy, becoming the new king. The Battle of Hastings is one of a handful of iconic events that mark Britain’s national character so getting the thing to England is a big deal. Why did the French relent? Curators, who opposed the move because of the potential damage, give blame or credit to President Emmanuel Macron with a big boost from King Charles and the British government which has insured the piece for $1 billion. 

L’Etoile – A Star on Prince Street, Chapter 4

Two years ago, Louise Peloquin began sharing excerpts from L’Etoile, a French-language newspaper published in Lowell from 1886 to 1957. At my urging, she has agreed to compile some of her previous posts with added contextual information into a book manuscript to be called, L’Etoile: A Star on Prince Street. Starting this week, Louise will present draft chapters from the book in serial form here on the blog. Today, we have another installment.

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L’Etoile – A Star on Prince Street

Chapter 4 – The Daily Course

By Louise Peloquin

L’Etoile was a team venture, a collective adventure. Everyone played an indispensable role, always encouraged to activate their skills and to place them at the service of the public.

Some team members were out and about collecting local news, interviewing people around town, taking notes, writing reports and editorials. Others translated breaking world, national and regional news into French. Some met business owners and merchants interested in posting advertisements. And of course, the master artisans of the printing trade, the linotypists and machinists, enabled pursuing the paper’s objectives.

L’Etoile was a printing company whose business activities allowed publishing a French daily newspaper catering to Lowell’s Franco-American community. The Prince Street Star shone upon readers outside Lowell as well. All of this was never a single person’s accomplishment. On the contrary, the working body of L’Etoile members made everything possible.

The rolling, rumbling Mergenthaler linotype machines never took breaks. The days were full of numerous exchanges and activities involved in running a print shop and a newspaper:  placing orders for paper, discussing headlines, opinion pieces and layout, examining sales, distribution channels and so much more. Each day had its repeated tasks. The team was focused on meeting clients’ expectations. Community service, rather than the profit motive, propelled efforts.

Every day, the men and women of L’Etoile Printing and Publishing Company adapted to the demands at hand. Their versatility exploded stereotypes about who should be doing what. Linotypists turned into translators and reporters. Publicists served as newspaper couriers. Editors converted into canvassers, investigators and poets. Secretaries became accountants. No pair of hands, be they rough and calloused or dainty and white, shied away from handling blackened bits of lead to create catchy headlines and captivating accounts. Furthermore, everyone was an expert broom-pusher and tidy-upper. All hands were on deck.

Everyone knew a bit about the other’s specialty. Not being chained to a single function made for quite an exciting ambiance.

Other key players were the mechanical “colleagues.” Without the Mergenthalers, stationery, business cards, programs, order slips, let alone a foreign language newspaper, could not exist. The many components of L’Etoile’s equipment were really the queen bees of the Prince Street hive. Team members pampered them by feeding them strips of lead, rolls of paper, bottles of ink, drops of oil. In turn, they delivered the panels, leaves, folios and pages which enhanced local lives.

The royal machines’ residence took up the better part of the 24-26 Prince Street premises. Team members occupied narrow cramped corners whose austerity seemed to be conducive to reflection. It was out of the question to print stale news or provide defective office supplies.

While the human workers buzzed, the machine queen bees performed a symphony of clicks, clings, clangs, claps and occasional bings, bongs and boings. Each instrument played to the beat of its own metronome. The din was never found to be cacophonous. On the contrary, it was as reassuring as the whoosh of the nearby Merrimack and as energizing as the hustle and bustle outside – the early morning passers-by filing down narrow Little Canada streets rushing to work, the children gleefully pouring out of red brick buildings at the end of the school day, the fuzzy outlines of figures heading for tenements and shops at dusk. These sounds filled 24-26 Prince Street and serenaded L’Etoile’s team members’ lives.

Lowell Politics: September 6, 2026

Tuesday, September 1, 2026, was the State Primary Election. It was unique in recent Lowell political history because two of the three state representative seats in Lowell were “open” (meaning the incumbents were not running) while the third district had a hotly contested race that challenged the incumbent. Here are the results from the Democratic Primary:

Sixteenth Middlesex

This district includes Centralville and Pawtucketville in Lowell and five precincts in Chelmsford. The seat is currently held by Rodney Elliott who did not seek reelection. On Tuesday, Lorena Betts of Chelmsford defeated Lowell City Councilor Corey Robinson.

Based on unofficial results (as is all of the reporting that follows), Betts received 2831 votes (70%) district wide to Robinson’s 1194 (30%). Breaking down the district, in Chelmsford, which had 46% of the votes cast in the election, Betts received 1603 (87%) to Robinson’s 251 (14%). In Lowell, which had 54% of the votes cast, Betts received 1228 (57%) to Robinson’s 943 (43%).

There will be a Republican candidate for this office – Karla Miller – on the ballot in November, so the identity of the next state representative for this district won’t be determined until then.

Seventeenth Middlesex

This district includes Belvidere, South Lowell, Downtown, small slices of the Lower Highlands and the Acre plus one precinct in Tewksbury. It was represented by Vanna Howard who resigned earlier this year when she won a special election to fill the local State Senate seat that became vacant with the passing of Ed Kennedy.

John Drinkwater, a former Lowell City Councilor, won this race and, since there was no Republican candidate on the ballot Drinkwater will almost certainly be the next representative of this district.

On Tuesday, Drinkwater received 2177 votes (59%); Harini Sankaran Aiyer received 931(25%); and Anthony Leite received 555 (15%).

In Lowell, Drinkwater received 1958 votes (60%) to Aiyer’s 817 (25%) and Leite’s 467 (14%). In Tewksbury, Drinkwater received 219 to Aiyer’s 114 and Leite’s 88. The votes from Lowell accounted for 89% of the total while Tewksbury contributed 11% of the votes.

Eighteenth Middlesex

This district includes the Highlands and the Acre. It is represented by Tara Hong who won reelection by defeating current Lowell City Councilor Sokhary Chau.

On Tuesday, Hong received 2025 votes (67%) to Chau’s 985 (33%).

Since there is no Republican nominee for this office, Hong will almost certainly be elected to another term in November.

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Because politics never sleeps, several readers have asked what implications Tuesday’s results might have in next year’s Lowell City Election since two of the losing candidates in the state primary, Corey Robinson and Sokhary Chau, are incumbent city councilors who presumably will seek reelection in 2027. Doing that analysis requires a by precinct breakdown of the Lowell vote which I didn’t have time to obtain, so I’ll look at this question in next week’s newsletter.

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The Massachusetts race that received the most attention statewide and nationally was for the U.S. Senate where incumbent Ed Markey was challenged by incumbent member of Congress Seth Moulton. Markey won handily with 573,767 votes (65%) to Moulton’s 311,036 (35%).

In Lowell, of the 8273 votes cast in that race, Markey received 5844 (70%) to Moulton’s 2370 (30%).

Although Markey has only been a US Senator since 2013, he was first elected to Congress in 1976. He’s also 80 years old. So national pundits wondered if the wave of challengers knocking off longtime incumbents in other states would continue in Massachusetts. Although Markey is old and is the incumbent, this race didn’t fit that pattern. Elsewhere, the winning challenger was decidedly more progressive than the incumbent whereas in this race, Markey was perceived (correctly, for the most part) to be more liberal than Moulton. Also, Moulton is not a fresh new face since he has served in Congress since 2015. Moulton mostly emphasized Markey’s age which may have yielded better results for the right candidate although I think Markey is well-liked and has repeatedly shown he can win tough elections having defeated Steve Lynch to win the Senate seat in 2013 and Joe Kennedy III who challenged him in 2020.

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Sticking with Congress, in the race to succeed Moulton in the 6th Congressional District, Dan Koh won in the crowded Democratic Primary field. Finishing second in that race was State Representative Tram Nguyen, who represents part of Tewksbury in the Massachusetts House. By running for Congress, Nguyen did not run for the rep seat she first won in 2018.

As for Koh, he is likely familiar to Lowell voters since he finished a close second to Lori Trahan in the 2018 Democratic Primary to succeed Niki Tsongas. However, redistricting in 2022 moved his hometown of Andover from Trahan’s 3rd District to Moulton’s 6th.

Koh will face Republican Micah Jones of Essex in the general election.

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Although national pundits focused on the Markey vs. Moulton race as a possible “new, more progressive” challenger beating “old, more moderate” incumbent, the races that better presented that potentiality where in 1st Congressional District where longtime and high-ranking Congressman Richard Neal was challenged by Jeromie Whalen, or in the 8th Congressional District were Stephen Lynch was challenged by Patrick Roath. However, both incumbents were easily reelected with Neal defeating Whalen, 54% to 46%; and Lynch defeating Roath, 56% to 44%.

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Another contested office on the Democratic ballot was for District Attorney (Northern District). However, that race was not close with incumbent Marian Ryan of Belmont winning a landslide victory over challenger David Solet of Cambridge, a former Assistant DA in the office. I don’t have the district-wide numbers yet but in Lowell, Ryan received 5953 (79%) votes to Solet’s 1576 (21%).

Since there is no Republican candidate, Ryan’s victory in the primary likely assures her another term in office.

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The other offices on the Democratic Ballot in Lowell were uncontested. These were:

Governor – Maura Healey

Lt. Governor – Kim Driscoll

Attorney General – Andrea Campbell

Secretary of State – William Galvin

State Treasurer – Deborah Goldberg

State Auditor – Diana DiZoglio

Representative in Congress – Lori Trahan

Governor’s Councillor – Eunice Delice Zeigler

State Senator – Vanna Howard

Register of Probate – Tara DeCristofaro

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Republican Primary – I’ve combined all offices here, including those that are contested.

U.S. Senator – John Deaton of Bolton

Governor – Michael Minogue of Hamilton defeated Brian Shortsleeve of Barnstable

Lt. Governor – Shawn Oliver of New Bedford.

Attorney General – Michael Walsh of Lynnfield

Secretary of State – no candidate.

Treasurer – Elizabeth Dionne of Belmont

State Auditor – no candidate.

Representative in Congress – Garry Grossi of Acton.

Governor’s Councillor – no candidate.

State Senator – Sam Meas of Lowell.

State Rep (16th Middlesex) – Karla Miller of Lowell.

State Rep (17th Middlesex) – no candidate.

State Rep (18th Middlesex) – no candidate.

District Attorney – no candidate.

Register of Probate – no candidate.

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The Massachusetts state election is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. While the above candidates in contested races will be hard at work campaigning until then, the focus of most of us will shift to the national scene since the entire country will participate in that day’s election with control of both houses of Congress up for grabs.

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As I mentioned at the start of this newsletter, it is rare to have contested races for all three state representative seats in Lowell in the same election. For a further stroll down (political) memory lane, here are the individuals who have held those seats over the past 50 years:

16th Middlesex District (was the 17th Middlesex before 2002)

1978 – Nickolas Lambros (D) defeated Leo J. Farley Jr.

1982 – John F. Cox (D) defeated incumbent Nickolas Lambros.

1994 – Thomas Golden was elected. Incumbent John F. Cox did not seek reelection.

In 2002 redistricting, this became the 16th Middlesex District.

2022 – Rodney Elliott defeated Zoe Dzineku in the Democratic Primary and XX in the General Election. Incumbent Tom Golden was appointed Lowell City Manager on March 30, 2022, and resigned from the state legislature.

17th Middlesex District (was the 18th Middlesex before 2002)

1978 – Edward A. LeLacheur (D) was reelected.

1998 – David C. Nangle (D) was elected. Incumbent Edward A. LeLacheur did not seek reelection.

2000 – Vanna Howard (D) was elected. She defeated incumbent David Nangle and Lisa Arnold in the Democratic Primary.

18th Middlesex District (was the 19th Middlesex before 2002).

1978 – Philip L. Shea (45th Middlesex) defeated Robert B. Kennedy (46th Middlesex).

1979 – Timothy M. Rourke (D) won a special election called when incumbent Philip L. Shea was elected to the State Senate in another special election.

1982 – Susan F. Rourke (D) was elected. Incumbent Timothy M. Rourke (her spouse) died in a car accident.

1992 – Steven C. Panagiotakos (D) defeated incumbent Susan F. Rourke.

1996 – Kevin J. Murphy (D) was elected. Incumbent Steven C. Panagiotakos ran for the State Senate.

2014 – Rady Mom (D) was elected. Incumbent Kevin J. Murphy resigned after becoming Lowell City Manager.

2024 – Tara Hong (D) was elected. He defeated incumbent Rady Mom and Andrew Kollar in the Democratic primary.

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This week in my Seen & Heard column, I wrote about a recent visit to the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester to see the visiting exhibit, “Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea”; noted the obituary of former Celtic Don Nelson; commented on a NYT profile of the hosts of the “Rest is History” podcast; and reviewed the book Fire and Light: How the Enlightenment Transformed Our World by James MacGregor Burns.