'We Feed People' review: Engaging, inspiring documentary

WHAT IT'S ABOUT The documentary "We Feed People" tells the story of Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen nonprofit, a sprawling apparatus that provides high-quality food to disaster areas at a moment's notice.

It chronicles how Andrés, a Spanish restaurateur and all-around culinary giant who came to prominence at the fore of the modern celebrity chef era, founded the nonprofit at the time of the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake. 

The movie follows its expansion over subsequent years, responding to everything from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, while looking at the rewards and the burdens of this strenuous, nonstop work.

Directed by Ron Howard, "We Feed People" is streaming now on Disney+.

MY SAY There's always a danger of movies like "We Feed People" turning into infomercials for their subjects. Andrés is a remarkable person who has led his team to do a lot of meaningful work, but that in and of itself does not inherently equate to a compelling documentary.

Fortunately, while Howard might be best known for narrative pictures like "The Da Vinci Code" and "A Beautiful Mind," he's also an accomplished documentarian who recognizes the human story that underpins it all.

Because of that, he comes away with something more interesting than just a feel-good drama. It's the story of a man compelled by larger forces he does not fully comprehend to pull off improbable feats that make the world a better place.

In "We Feed People," Howard gathers an abundance of riveting footage across a range of disaster areas.

But no sequences better illustrate the logistical nightmares involved in setting up a professional food operation in a devastated landscape than an extended depiction of the nonprofit's response to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019. 

Without a usable kitchen to be found because of the destruction, the WCK crew sets up shop in the middle of what one worker describes as a "messed-up lot," scavenging for important tools in rubble and utilizing an unused mobile morgue as a refrigerator. When a bridge to an island with hungry people is destroyed, they make use of an amphibious vehicle to bring deliveries.

Even with a lot of chronological territory to cover, Howard takes the time to focus on this incredibly difficult work, showing the labor involved in great detail.

He also never shies away from depicting the personal toll that comes with being devoted to this calling, featuring moments of anger, emotional breakdowns and wistful reflections on the extensive time spent away from loved ones. That's not to mention the turmoil experienced by the volunteers at each site, who must put their own hardships aside to help their communities.

To be clear, the movie exists primarily to inspire people and compel support for World Central Kitchen.

But it's more interesting than it had to be, both thanks to the man behind the camera and the man in front of it, a candid subject willing to open himself up while also deflecting attention onto the larger collective nature of the work.

BOTTOM LINE This is an engaging documentary about people making a real difference in the world.