A Half-Star Film

I had heard awful things about the movie Burnt, so I was not looking forward to watching it.  I am a fan of all the talent involved, especially Bradley Cooper, so I was disheartened to hear that.  I was shocked when I finally watched it because, despite its problems, I actually found the film to be quite enjoyable.

Burnt is the story of Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper), a chef with a bad reputation who returns to London to redeem himself.  First of all, I like the fact that Adams' reputation has caught up with him.  He wants an old restaurant renovated, but that will only happen if he agrees to take blood and alcohol tests every week.  I just wish that we had seen more of his "bad boy" persona.  What exactly happened in Paris??  Ok so, he owes a couple of guys money but why??  I also would have liked to see a tad more of Adams' history with Anne Marie (Alicia Vikander).  What you get in the movie is fine, but not enough to explain why it is okay for Anne Marie to pay off Adams' debt.  We also never see the 2-star restaurant he used to work at.  We hear so much about it in the movie that you would figure they would show it at least once.  Also, Adam starts asking people to work in his restaurant when he does not even have a restaurant yet!!!  Later in the film, Adam leaves a note in the basket of Helenes' (Sienna Miller) bicycle, but it is not even on screen long enough for us as the audience to read it.  Come on, this is the kind of thing that I am learning in film school right now!!  When something needs to be read on screen, you leave it on the screen for long enough for the person to read it twice.  This allows enough time for the audience to read it!!  Also, at different points in the movie, Adam tells Tony (Daniel Bruhl) that he sabotaged his restaurant, and then later he tells him that his friend Max (Riccardo Scamarcio) is in jail and will be out in two days.  The problem is that we never see Adam sabotage Tonys' restaurant, and we also do not know how in the world Adam knows about Max.  Oh, and at one point in the film, Adam hires Helene by costing her her job at the restaurant where she previously worked at.  How, exactly???  We never actually see this happen.  Now, you would think that because of all these plot issues that Burnt would be absolutely insufferable to watch.  However, because of the great acting talent involved, and because of Adams' great character arc, this is actually a half-decent movie.

Bradley Cooper plays Adam Jones.  Adam is a character who is driven to be the absolute best in the world, and he does not care how arrogant he has to be in order to achieve that.  It is because of this that you may not like him, but you will respect him.  Bradley Cooper is perfection playing cinemas' version of Gordon Ramsay.  The scene where he goes off on his entire crew will give you goosebumps.  However, it is the more intimate moments with Sienna Miller where Cooper shines.  Bradley Cooper keeps turning in one great performance after another, and Burnt is proof that he is not slowing down anytime soon.

John Wells is the director of Burnt.  First off, I love the way the environment in the kitchen is captured.  The way the camera moves around the kitchen makes you feel like you are right there witnessing it all, and the details of the restaurant outside of the kitchen are meticulously done as well.  I also like the way the inner workings of London are captured.  These are not beautiful shots of the London landscape,  These are shots of the neighborhoods, fish markets and restaurants.  People often think of London as such a beautiful city.  However, what Wells does with this movie is show us that the city operates just like any other.

Despite its flaws with the story, Burnt is a well-directed and well-acted film.  Bradley Coopers' character arc in the film is one of a kind, and he has great chemistry with Sienna Miller.  Truth be told, if you are a fan of Bradley Cooper you should check this movie out.