Unlike some recent chef movies like, well, Chef, Burnt was not meant for the whole family. This aggressive and fast paced drama details the life of former drug addict and Michelin rated chef Adam Jones. Bradley Cooper and Siena Miller join together again as kitchen partners going for Jones’ third Michelin star while also battling Jones’ past demons.
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that Cooper steals the show. His pace and presence is only rivaled by Miller. This is their second time together, first being American Sniper (2014). While this was not an Oscar worthy performance, it is one in a series of many dominant performances by the star actor. Miller on the other hand came out swinging and proved she can hold her one with a star like Cooper. Other notable actors are Daniel Bruhl (Inglorious Basterds), Omar Sy (Intouchables), Ricardo Scamarcio (Loose Cannons), and Sam Keeley (This Must be the Place).
What I’m sure many people are wondering is “what was the food like?” It’s worth noting that most people would find the cuisine at a Michelin rated restaurant bizarre and uncomfortable. Needless to say, these are not your everyday meals; however, there are moments in the film where restaurant goers make it all look…so….goooood. While I’m a sucker for films about cooking and fine dining, I must say that there were some very well shot eating scenes. I could not begin to describe what they made, but I will say that watching the effort, speed, efficiency, and patience it takes to make the dishes was incredible.
As we were leaving the theater my family and I were all asking each other our opinions of the film. The thing is, we all said we wouldn’t necessarily recommend this film to others. It’s strange because it was entertaining, but it never totally captured us. Part of this feeling comes from the fact that it feels like there wasn’t much of a story arch, but it’s also that I felt as though the resolution was unsatisfying. I wanted to see more happen down the stretch to make me say wow, but that moment never came. While I want to reiterate the strong performances by both Cooper and Miller, this seemed like strong transitional movies for the two high profile actors.
In the end, Burnt receives a 6/10.
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