|
|
Friday, April 26, 2024
|
|
HOLLYWOOD BURNT
EDITOR'S PICK
'Burnt'
- Emotionally bland
Rating:
**
Conceited and contrived. That's "Burnt" in a nutshell. It is the tale
of an eccentric chef who tries to find a balance in his life.
Conceited because Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper), the self-destructive, two-star
Michelin chef who is back in London from Paris, is so full of himself. His
psychoanalyst reiterates this and he reconfirms during one of his conversations,
"My kitchen will be the best in the world".
Contrived because of the paradoxes that surround him. He is ambitious but not
disciplined to lead. Aiming for three stars, for him "Good means
nothing". His idiosyncrasies lead him to perfection, but are also the cause
of his downfall.
He expects his subordinates to be disciplined, but he himself wavers and
falters. Also, while shortlisting chefs for his London restaurant, "Adam
Jones in Langham", he asks, "Did you see the movie 'Seven Samurai'?
That's how I want my chefs to be'. This indirectly is also an allusion of how
the plot will progress.
The narration at this point actually runs like the film "Seven
Samurai", with Adam assembling a team of old buddies. He actually picks up
one from the prison in order to strong-arm an old acquaintance Tony (Daniel Brühl)
into letting him take over the Langham Hotel's restaurant and redo it from
scratch. Like any assemble film needs a rookie, here we have Helene (Sienna
Miller), a talent scouted by Adam out of an Italian restaurant. She is also his
love interest in the film.
The script, written by Steven Knight and Michael Kalesniko, follows a decently
structured story of personal demons and culinary expertise, with a few smooth
twists thrown in. But it lacks an emotional pull.
The screenplay is padded up with oft-seen images and scenes in films of this
genre, making this film bland. Endless close-ups of artisanal plates of food
fussily prepared, frenetic kitchen scenes in which orders are shouted and pans
sizzle. And, of course, frequent dish-smashing tantrums and tirades by the
master chefs.
Bradley Cooper as the grumpy and abusive chef at the helm who sweats and swears,
offers a glamour quotient to the film but his character lacks the chutzpah of a
hero and that is why he fails to impress.
He is ably supported by; Daniel as Tony, his old acquaintance who loves him and
now owns a restaurant, and Sienna Miller as Helene a single mother and chef, who
is also his love angle. They definitely impress. Unfortunately, ace actors like
Uma Thurman, Alicia Vikander and Emma Thompson are wasted in miniscule roles.
Overall, "Burnt" is a bland film which neither teases your palate nor
stirs you emotionally.
