Burnt (2015)

I've mentioned this several times before but I'm going to say it again, I love food. I watch a lot (probably too many) culinary shows and one of my biggest dreams is to have dinner at a starred restaurant. That's why I finally decided to watch Burnt, a film far from being perfect but that, in my opinion, deserves more attention. 

This film is about Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper), a two-star Michelin chef who has destroyed his career with drugs and a terrible behaviour and is now determined to redeem himself. That's why he takes over the restaurant owned by Tony (Daniel Bruhl), an old friend of his, and, with the help of two other old friends, Michel (Omar Sy) and Max (Riccardo Scamarcio), and Helene (Sienna Miller), a talented sous-chef, pursues his third star.

So this story is filled with clichés and it's pretty predictable, still, it has some interesting plot points, a surprising twist and overall it's engaging and involving, and I really found myself rooting for Cooper's character.

Which is odd because the character is an asshole and so unlikable (he does grow and become a better man though, Bradley Cooper gives a solid performance and his chemistry with Sienna Miller is good). Also, he barely has a backstory, his motivations are rather illogical not to say stupid and he doesn't seem to struggle a lot.

I know, the film looks like a misfire so far, but it's not as it provides a quite realistic look on how it is to work in a professional kitchen. Although there are some inaccuracies (one does not get 2-3 Michelin stars by simply shouting at his stuff), John Wells's film delivers how difficult it is to work in a high-end restaurant and portrays the pressure these people put on themselves to achieve greatness and perfection.