Sunday night is film night in the BMAF household, this week’s serving of film was Burnt starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller.
Bradley plays Adam Jones, a top chef who has destroyed his career though his Diva demands and relationship with drugs.
The film starts where we learn that Adam has cleaned himself up and ended up in London. Here he hopes to redeem himself by taking over a restaurant and getting it the coveted Michelin 3 Star rating.
During this journey, he will face many of the faces he has hurt and let down in the past, including Tony (Daniel Bruhl), who is the son of his mentor Jean-Luc and Michel (Omar Sy) a competitor whose restaurant Adam ruined, by releasing rats into it!
On Adam’s journey, he learns from Tony, that Jean-Luc has passed away. Tony admits he thought Adam had died too, as do most as Adam was not at the funeral. It is in fact due to Adam burying himself away to sober up, it could also be the fact that he is hiding from huge debts he built up with his drug dealers.
It is in fact due to Adam burying himself away to sober up, it could also be the fact that he is hiding from huge debts he built up with his drug dealers that he did not know. It is clear this is devastating news to Adam, as he clearly had a lot of love and respect for his former Mentor.
Tony, now Maitre D at Jean Luc’s hotel, agrees to give Adam another chance and run the restaurant. This is after he helps when a food critic (Uma Thurman) arrives at the hotel. A food critic he organised!
Adam builds his team to work with him: Michel, who appears to have forgiven him for the rat incident; Max (Riccardo Scamarcio) a former Jean-Luc Protégé, fresh out of prison; David (Sam Keeley) an upcoming chef, who even lets Adam stay at his home and Helene (Sienna Miller) a sous chef, he has taken a liking to.
One person who refuses to forgive Adam is Reece (Matthew Rhys) who he has a long-standing rivalry with.
The character of Adam is one that will make you think of many other celebrity chefs, Gordon Ramsey being the obvious one, due to the rants that Adam has at his staff.
Gordon was an executive producer on this film, so he may have even helped Bradley get in character =)
It is a testament to the character that he has managed to stay clean, and is attending sessions for weekly drug tests, with psychiatrist Dr. Rosshilde (Emma Thompson) to prove it! Yet this is what I found hardest about the film, due to Adam’s problems being caused by himself, you do find it hard to root for him.
The presentation of the food and pressure the chefs are under are very realistic. But I did find some of the rants did feel more like Bradley Cooper acting, than say when Gordon Ramsey does it naturally in one of his TV shows.
Adam must have been a very well liked person however, as not only do we learn that Tony is in love with him but also Jean-Luc’s daughter Anne Marie (Alicia Vikander) has paid off all his debts, after he takes a particularly nasty beating. Again this does seem odd, he has clearly done damage to these people, yet they all forgive him.
A romantic storyline for Adam and Helene seems unnecessary, particularly after Adam had not let her have a half day holiday to spend with her daughter, on her birthday.
The film certainly packs a lot in during the 101 minute runtime and does not outstay its welcome. It is great to see the character of Adam change over the film. Both Cooper and Miller look very capable as chefs, and the dishes they come up with do look very presentatable and edible.
I actually think my main issue with the film is that it was not too long ago I saw the Jon Favreau film, Chef. Another movie about a chef reinventing himself, which I enjoyed a lot more.
Have you seen Burnt? What is your favourite film about food? We would love to hear from you here at Barking Mad About Films
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