BURNT

US, 2015, 100 minutes, Colour.
Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Bruehl, Ricardo Scammarcio, Omar Sy, Sam Keeley, Henry Goodman, Matthew Rhys, Stephen Campbell Moore, Emma Thompson, Alicia Vikander, Lily James, Uma Thurman, Julian Firth.
Directed by John Wells.

If anything were burned in Adam’s clockwork kitchen at the London restaurant in fashionable London, the food would be hurled at the wall, as with the crockery and utensils. It would be the same with anything that Adam judged not to have reached his perfectionist stances. Bradley Cooper is Adam and has shown in a number of his films that he can be something of a fierce warrior, not just American Sniper, but a now a martinet with his kitchen staff.

It was not always so. Adam has quite an interesting back story before his ascendancy in London. As a 19-year-old, he left the United States, infiltrated a restaurant in Paris, the owner then becoming his mentor, and bringing him into work with the top kitchen staff. So far, so good. But drugs and drink take the better of Adam and he behaves abominably to everyone, even putting rats in a restaurant and then calling the health inspectors, putting the owner, Michel (Omar Sy) out of business.

From this bottoming of his life, he went to New Orleans, shucked a million oysters, keeping notes and the count, and then decided to get clean and make his way to London, confronting an old friend, Tony (Daniel Bruehl) to persuade him to appoint him chef in the up-market The Langham Hotel. Now, full of self-confidence, he rounds up old friends and associates to persuade them to work for him, and wanting a special chef so much, Sienna Miller, that he gets her fired so that she has to work for him. He is in command, they have to call him Chef, and put up with his perfectionist tantrums.

There are quite a lot of interesting supporting characters played by a very strong cast. They include Emma Thompson as the psychiatrist who had to check Adam regularly to ensure that he was clean – and, with the complication that she is the psychiatrist for Tony who is infatuated with Adam. Adam persuades Michel to come and work for him, as well is Max (Richard Scarmaccio) who is getting out of prison. There is also a rivalry with a fellow chef from Paris (Matthew Rhys) who now runs another London restaurant, who admires Adam and helps him when he bashed by thugs to whom he owes money, admitting he is the best, but nevertheless in fierce competition with him.

It wouldn’t be Hollywood film unless there was a romance and, as anticipated, the fired cook, who has a little daughter, admires Adam and falls for him.

On reflection, the plot is fairly commonplace and the characters, well-acted as they are, have no real depth.

But, while the film is entertaining, it probably would go on the must-see list of those who are foodaholics, cookaholics, gourmetoholics, because, visually, a lot of time is spent in the kitchens, the detail of the preparation, the cooking, the serving – especially because Adam has two Michelin stars and is desperate to get a third.

One of the pleasures of the film is that it is set in London, offering many memories for those who have lived in or visited London.

1. A film for fans of cooking, interest in chefs, gourmet meals, preparation and serving? Perfection from the kitchen?

2. The title, in relationship to Adam, to food, the possibility of change?

3. The international settings, Paris, New Orleans, London, the inner-city, the familiar sights, the feel of London? The musical score?

4. The range of the International cast?

5. Adam’s story, his telling it, the voice-over, his background as a child, institutions, leaving the US, aged 19, going to Paris, telling the lies, insinuating himself into the kitchen, his friendship with Jean-Luc?, Jean-Luc? as a mentor, success in the kitchen, his drinking, drugs, the debts, his relationship with Anna? His behaviour under the influence of drugs, sabotaging Michel’s restaurant, the rats, phoning the health inspectors and Michel losing his restaurant? His leaving, going to New Orleans, an act of reparation, shucking 1 million oysters, keeping the notes in his book? Walking out?

6. Having to keep clean, going to the doctor, the range of visits, the needles, her being a psychiatrist, the discussions with him, the warnings? Her being Tony’s psychiatrist?

7. His aim, to be the main chef at the Langham, Tony and his father, taking over, checking his skills, the reviewer from the Times, the character, her visit, favourable response? Scouting the other kitchens, finding Michel, discussing the past, believing Michel and inviting him to work in the kitchen? going to the prison, the background with Max, in Paris, his coming out of prison, joining the kitchen? Meeting David, urging him to be assertive, hiring him? Helen, going to the kitchen, the visits, the criticisms, having her fired? Going to see Reece, the restaurant, the memories of the past working together, the rivalry?

8. Tony, his skill as a maitre d’, Adam persuading him, the angers, Tony in love with Adam? The later surprise with the kiss? The preparation of the meals, the staff, the army and hierarchical model, the chef to be obeyed, the language of the staff calling him chef? His putting on the pressure, the reactions, wanting perfection, smashing the crockery, throwing out the imperfect food?

9. Helen, her daughter, the domestic scenes, defying Adam, his inviting her to the party, wanting the day of for her daughter’s birthday, his refusal, his being persuaded to make the cake, talking with her daughter? Inviting Helen to the social, her dress, the encounter with Anna?

10. The thugs from Paris, the threats, Adam unable to pay, his being bashed? The background with Anna, meeting her at the social, meeting her after she had paid of the debt?

11. The responses, the times and the favourable review, the consequences?

12. Reece, his modern style restaurant, the furniture, the partnership with the owner? Angers, smashing the restaurant, yet helping Adam, saying that he was the best?

13. The relationship with Helen, her explanations of more up-to-date cooking methods, styles, machines, developing, mellowing Adam?

14. Michelin stars, Adams ambitions, to get a third, the checklist for the unknown Michelin visitors, thinking they were present, frantic, the preparations? His being bashed, rising to the occasion, serving the meal, its being sent back, Michel and the spice, getting his revenge on Adam? The irony that the visitors were actually from Birmingham?

15. Confrontations, Helen and David managing without Adam, the ethos in the kitchen, his gradually realising that he had to work with them all as a team, the real Michelin visitors? Adam, his story, fall, rise, debts, relationships, redemption and success?