BURNT Movie Review.

 BURNT movie review

By Lisalee Solomons

                 Picture Sourced: Lisalee Solomons, Cape Town.

Academy award winner Bradley Cooper gives a stellar performance in this brilliant film about his passion for making food that will leave a lasting impression on his customers. With a brilliant cast including Sienna Miller, Uma Thurman, Omar Sy, Matthew Rhys, Ricardo Scamarcio, Alicia Vikander and Emma Thompson. Adam Jones whose character is played by Cooper; was a well-known chef at a Parisian restaurant owned by his late mentor Jean-Luc until his drug use and very bad temperamental behaviour destroyed his career and his restaurant.  Adam goes into self-isolation in New Orleans to sober up and plans to head to London to restart his career and earn his much wanted third Michelin Star.

Back in London, Adam searches for old colleagues to help him open a new restaurant, keeping in mind that all his ex-colleagues/ friends have beef with Adam. He meets Tony Balierdi (Daniel Bruhl), now a hotel manager of The Langham’s Hotel in London knows about Adams drug problem and bad temper and lets him stay at the hotel for a few days but refuses Adam a job in the kitchen. He visits and old friend at his restaurant and enjoys a plate of pasta on the house which blows his mind at just how amazing the pasta is. The hotel manager introduces Adam to their sous-chef Helene (Sienna Miller) to which she immediately dislikes his arrogance and dismisses him immediately when he tells her what she should add to make the pasta source even more tasty.  

Michel (Omar Sy) whose restaurant Adam had sabotaged out of pure jealousy tracks Adam down whist walking around in London. After a brief first fight between the two, they talk things out and Adam asks Michel to work for him to which Michel agrees. Just as Adam starts planning his kitchen team, his former drug dealers realise his return and attempt to collect what Adam owes them for his outstanding drug debt.

Simone played by Uma Thurman is a lesbian famed restaurant critic and whose had a few one-night stands with Adam years back, makes a brief appearance in this film as Adam convinces her to dine at Tony’s hotel and review the place. She agrees. Upon Simone’s arrival at the restaurant, everyone in the hotel rushes to get the food perfect as one bad review from Simone could result in Tony’s restaurant being closed. Tony realises that Adam was the one that set this up and after a heated argument between the two he finally allows Adam to cook the meal for Simone. Simone’s review comes back favourable which then results in Tony hiring Adam as head chef permanently. He tells Adam that he must submit to weekly drug tests with Tony’s psychiatrist Dr Rosshilde (Emma Thompson) to which Adam agrees.

Opening night slowly approaches, everyone at the hotel is on edge.  Adam does numerous talk shows to get publicity for the restaurant which draws media attention considering he is a high profiled chef. Opening night turns out to be a full-on disaster, with Adam closing early and blames Helene. He humiliates her in front of his staff members, which results to verbal and physical aggression. Helene quits!

Second opening approaches, Tony convinces Helene to return to the restaurant and gives some insight into Adam’s behaviour. She returns, Adam improves his attitude, but refuses to give her time off for her daughter Lilly’s birthday.

The restaurant’s reputation has now been established, Adams sets his sights on getting the 3^rd Michelin star while still trying to avoid his drug dealers, even after Tony offered to pay off his debt.  Adam asks Helene to be his plus one to a reopening of an old friends’ restaurant. Adams spot his ex-girlfriend Anne Marie (Alicia Vikander) who is the daughter of Adams mentor Jean Luc and did drugs with him.

Early the next morning Helen finds Adam at the fish market where they share a kiss in the alley just behind The Langham on their way back to the restaurant. That evening Adam arrives at the restaurant beaten up and bruised by his drug dealers whom he still owes money to. Two Michelin reviewers arrive at the restaurant and Adam and his team cook for them instead of him going to the hospital.  The team work frantically in the kitchen trying to get the meal as perfect as can be so that the reviewers can have a great experience. The meal is prepared, sent out to the 2 guests and the team sigh a huge sigh of relief. The meals come back immediately as its way to spicy. Confused and bewildered Adam and the team cannot believe what they are seeing and hearing. Michel then reveals that he sabotaged the sauce with cayenne pepper as revenge for Adam sabotaging his restaurant in Paris, Michel walks out of the restaurant never to be seen again. The staff are shooketh!

Will they recover from this? Without giving to much of the movie away, you would have to watch the movie to see if Adam gets his 3^rd star.

                                         Picture sourced: Lisalee Solomons, Cape Town.

Ends/841 words.