BURNT: REDEMPTION

A movie about a failed chef trying to reclaim his status titled BURNT would make you think the title was referring to his cooking abilities. The fact is it’s isn’t and in this new movie starring Bradley Cooper you discover someone more than a simple cooking film. You find a film about a man trying to reclaim his life.

Cooper stars as Adam Jones, once hailed as the upcoming best and brightest chef in France. Trained by a master and on his way up, Jones crashed and burned on his own due to overindulgences in everything from alcohol to drugs to women. An overnight failure he has since given himself a penance of shucking 1 million oysters in a tiny restaurant in New Orleans. After that last oyster he heads for London.

In London Jones arrives at the hotel and restaurant managed by ex-friend Tony (Daniel Bruhl). It was Tony’s father’s restaurant that Jones brought to the ground with his antics. He informs Tony that he’s cleaned up his act and is there to take over Tony’s new restaurant. Tony brushes him off by Jones works his way into the position and then sets about assembling his staff.

In a homage to films like THE SEVEN SAMURAI and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN the film next shows Jones putting that team together. He starts with word from a friend about a fantastic woman working in his own location named Helene (Sienna Miller). She has no plans to work for Jones but he makes that happen as well giving her no option. He recruits an old friend who was one of those burned in France, Michel, trying to make amends for past sins. He brings in a young chef wanna be working a food cart named David. As the team comes together it becomes Jones business to make it all work.

Jones also goes to another old friend’s to inform him of what is coming. Reece (Matthew Rhys) is a fellow chef and a competitor with Jones. Now successful with his own restaurant and trying new methods he has already achieved that which Jones is seeking, a three star rating in Michelin. We’re not talking tires here (even though that’s who puts out the guide) but the Michelin rating system for fine foods around the world. They secretly attend various restaurants and based on those visits rate them from 1 to 3 stars, 3 being the ultimate the holy grail of ratings. Jones had reached a 2 star rating. All that is left is that elusive 3.

The movie might seem to simply be about a jerk of a chef (much like Gordon Ramsay is portrayed on TV) who just wants to win a rating. In truth it’s about more than the rating. It is indeed about that chef but more importantly about his trying to reclaim his soul, his inspiration after having tarnished not just his career but after having ruined his own life and the lives of those around him. Jones isn’t quite sure how he can make up for his past failures other than to do what he does best which is cook and create. It’s not just about him attempting to do so but discovering if he can find that spark once again, if he can remove all that damage within himself and that he caused, to achieve a normal life.

The best performances in movies are those that don’t intrude, those where you don’t recognize the actor in the role. Instead they seem to actually be the character they are portraying. In the case of Bradley Cooper it would be so easy to push him aside thinking he was just another handsome actor getting more acclaim for his looks than his abilities. There are roles he’s had where that has come into play even. But here he takes on the role of Adam Jones and breathes life into it. He makes you feel for a man who self-destructed and then tries to redeem himself not just in his own eyes but in the eyes of those who matter most to him. At the same time he isn’t even aware of how much those around him mean which adds yet another layer to the character as portrayed by Cooper. He does a fantastic job.

While praise may seem heaped on Cooper here the fact is that without a strong supporting cast his performance would be wasted. All of the cast members here turn in outstanding performances that truly do support the main character while allowing their own characters to shine. Director John Wells (who also made the amazing THE COMPANY MEN) gives his subject, his actors and his creative staff room to breathe and in doing so brings out the best in them here.

In a world where we are bombarded with cooking shows that range from how to fry a burger to visiting the most exclusive, expensive and creative restaurants in the world most of us think we have all the answers when it comes to what goes on. But we rarely get a behind the scenes look at that world. We get the end product but not the journey to get there. BURNT gives us a glimpse of that world and the creators behind it. Not as in depth as a documentary but a glance in the form of entertainment. And entertained is what you will be while watching this film.

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