How did ALL the critics MISSED on Burnt?!?

Nothing pleases me more than to discover a gem that all the critics panned. Burnt is a GREAT film. In fact it is so good that the moment credits started to roll, I immediately restarted it to watch it again. I can’t remember the last time I did that. The film is magnificently photographed and expertly directed. The cast is first-rate. It has pushed The Grand Budapest Hotel from my choice for the best film of 2015 (two years later).

We meet Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) in New Orleans to open this story. He arrives before daybreak to shuck the oysters. He hits 1,000,000 oysters and leaves, to the bewilderment of his fellow restaurateurs, now starting to begin their own work day. We learn through his VO that his self-banishment was a sentence stemmed from mistakes he made whilst in Paris, and with his mentor Jean-Luc. Whether it was alcohol, drugs, women, loyalty, he’s served his “sentence”. It’s time for him to restart his life.

Adam is “Yoda”, if the Star Wars universe was allowed to parallel in comparison to him with other chefs. He arrives in London and rounds up his old cooking team from Paris and finds the “best maître-d’” in Europe, Tony (Daniel Brühl), now running a restaurant in The Langham. We learn that Tony, together with his father, lost their restaurant when Adam disappeared in Paris. So it’s a rebirth for Tony as well. And the two know that together, they have a chance to open the best restaurant in the world.

Adam’s goal is to receive a third Michelin star. It appears by doing so, it would be his “thank you” to all that Jean-Luc has done for him. Seemingly it’s the ultimate constitution that he has finally turned his life around.

One of Adam’s original team member is Michel (Omar Sy). Michel forgives Adam for ruining his own restaurant in Paris, which Adam in the midst of his heavy drinking and drug-use, doesn’t even remember what he did to Michel.

Adam spots Helene (Sienna Miller) when he visits his friend Conti’s (Henry Goodman) restaurant. Adam immediately sees the potential and convinces Conti to fire Helene so she could work at his new restaurant. Helene did not want to work for Adam at first, but a single mum with a small daughter, she needs the money where she can find the work; and the higher they pay, the better the option for her.

Now this could have been where the film turned cliché and we lose the focus of Burnt. It didn’t. Yes, there was a slight road leading that way, but it was logically repaired and their relationship was not only believable but quite inspiring. Helene’s character is well-written, and Miller really shined here as a tough sous-chef looking for her chance to be on her own and the opportunity to learn from the very best.

Adam’s troubled past should have been the film’s worst distraction. It was for a little while. But Wells and Knight (screenwriter) downplayed this ancillary to the minimum and it was just enough for us to feel the danger Adam must breakthrough to reach his ultimate goal. And for that it works.

There is a very tender subplot involving Adam and a rival chef named Montgomery Reece (Matthew Rhys). Apparently Adam, Tony, Max, Reece and Michel all started at Jean-Luc’s restaurant in Paris. Reece refers to his relationship with Adam as the Salieri and Mozart of chefs. Reece already has his third Michelin-Star. And since Adam is better, this makes the rivalry even that much more competitive. When Michel betrays Adam upon Michelin’s visit and ruins Adam’s chance at his Third-Star, it was Reece who “nursed” Adam back on his feet. His explanation that “all chefs” needed Adam to be around so others can continue to get better was a satisfying comradery which logically plays itself out during the course of the film. Matthew Rhs was superb in this role. From the first disbelief moment that he reconnects with Adam got me hooked right from the start. Credit Nina Gold once again for the superb casting in this entire film.

There were, however, two subplots that didn’t quite developed well enough for me; Tony’s love for Adam and Adam’s post relationship with Anne Marie (Alicia Vikander), Jean-Luc’s daughter, whom together with Adam consumed the excess that caused both their downfall. The relationship with Tony makes sense but why bother with this tangent when you’ve already introduced an even better subplot – competing with Adam for his dying father’s recognition. It’s only because Brühl is such a great actor that it can be overlooked. Most of his lines were written with comic relief in mind in heavy moments and his delivery was spot on. But the reconnect with Anne Marie needed a lot more screen time. Since this was the centerpiece of Adam’s life, I felt by leaving the mere two scenes where we do see her, they were more of a distraction than the satisfying reveal it intended. Don’t get me wrong, Vikander is always fantastic and she’s great here. The first scene at Reece’s reopening was impactful but after all this time, they should have a lot more to say to each other. I get the “closure” intent here but Adam is surrounded by his past and that won’t ever change so this should have been more of a renewed different relationship such as the one he will continue with Tony. So much like the deleted scene where we were introduced to Helene’s ex-husband (which was played by Jamie Dornan), if we never see Anne Marie we probably won’t even miss it.

Emma Thompson and Uma Thurman provided well-rounded supporting roles as a therapist and a food critic respectively. Both tangents could have been boring, but Wells presented them quite imaginatively so they didn’t appear to be distractions whenever the two were on the screen. Love the high-hat on the street when Thompson walked over to Cooper on the steps of her office, and continued with the CU on him as Thompson entered the door. Little coverage details like that really make the difference for me. Burnt has magnificent cutaways of London, which were such treats to marvel at.

Third act has a few surprises, but I don’t know why so many viewers are searching the web to see if Adam received his Third Star or not. When Tony walked over to Adam after serving the real Michelin guests’ visit, he smiled and nodded. Yes, Adam received his Third Star. Note that overwhelmingly, this is not the main objective, knowingly or unknowingly, put forth by Adam. The fact that he treated his winning service just as any other service because he is now with his “family” remain the reason why he succeeded. I was thoroughly satisfied at the choices Wells made and the route in which he faded out.

I don’t know why we keep getting these promotional trailers that COMPLETELY miss what the essence of the film is about. In my own focus group, the majority of those who’ve yet to see the film was turned off by the “hot-dog” showboat character that introduced Adam in the trailer. Very much like the epic fail for Denzel Washington’s trailer for Flight, this film is not about the excess that got Adam into changing himself, but rather about the rebirth, and the process which gave Adam back his talent and passion. The trailer ignorantly misled the audience as if the entire film was going to basically focus on Cooper gallivanting as this good-looking know-it-all Gordon Ramsay. My God, Adam grew up being handed from relative to relative and he finally finds his “family”, that’s what Burnt is about. Did the trailer suggest ANY significance of that?!

Those who know me know how I feel about food. I actually revolve my day’s activities around the two meals I have each day. Things are quite hectic with me what with World Seat™ launching in a few weeks, I usually sleep about two to three hours a day. As I mentioned in the past, I don’t catch movies in the theatre anymore, so to be able to spend the time wisely on a good film, it is as satisfying as having a great meal. Burnt came to me at a very apropos time since I have dined at all seven Three-Michelin-Star restaurants in New York City (I’m still counting Daniel and Jean-Georges because they were both “Three” when I was there, and per se is hands-down the absolute best of them all).

(parting gifts from per se)

Unless you’ve dined at a 3-Michelin-Star restaurant, you won’t fully appreciate and realize the authenticity of this film. The dining experience at these type of restaurants is very different from our everyday “meals”. Most services are set courses by the chef and you’re really there to marvel at each creation, savor each flavor, rather than merely filling your stomach until you’re full. The army of attendants required to run these kitchens day-in and day-out are unbelievable. The flawless detail the chef demands each service is beyond that of layman’s imagination. This is also the only film which gave some specific insights to the Michelin selection process which was simply fascinating to me. These professionals are not preparing meals, they are actually painstakingly painting a masterpiece with each plate they push to service and it’s really an experience everyone must try at least once.

Wells’ direction with time lapse was effective. I don’t think people really pick up the significance of these type of transition edits, or even care about it; but I do. Nick Moore kept the edits engaging. The pace was just perfect. When Adam asked Helene if she had a dress so she can attend Reece’s re-opening and she agreed to go and we cut to Helene looking up as Adam walks away, David (Sam Keeley) stopped and stared at her as if the world ‘s stopped spinning. The moment couldn’t have been more real. There was also the moment when Adam begin to realize that he now belongs to a real family. The edits were important in convincing me to get there. And I did. Now I wouldn’t have chosen Barns Courtney’s Fire to roll the end credits since we were all on such an emotional high that cinematically, I wanted something that was a Three-Michelin-Star-equivalent in music, and not this rough and urban outcast drumbeats which described Adam before his transformation. It fitted nicely to introduce Adam to us; just didn’t work for me to close it out.

Rob Simonsen’s score could not have been more touching, and heartfelt, and emotional, and cleansing, and inspiring, and beautiful. I don’t think people understand how difficult it is to not only write a melodic tune, but also to then be in sync with the picture; these are what magical moments are made of. There were several instances where the music made the scenes even more engaging; Adam and Helene’s first joint creation and the music pauses to cut to Adam staring at her; and of course the instance when Adam brings out the birthday cake. The moment when Adam appeared to be crazier than ever because the Michelin men were there, the music was just as haunting and mesmerizing as it is melodic. This is a fantastic score. DP Adriano Goldman’s glorious WS and CU of London and all the dishes were masterful. 2:35 to 1 anamorphic aspect ratio is still my favorite format to see a feature in. Focus becomes a tremendous challenge but when done correctly, it is more powerful than words. Even MCU’s here were racked-focused and they really made a difference for me. I can’t rave loud enough for Nina Gold‘s expert casting choices for EVERY role in this film. I don’t think there was one single character miscast in the entire film. Max (Riccardo Scamarcio), Adam’s old mate from Paris, Lily (Lexie Benbow-Hart), Helene’s daughter, and even Sarah Greene, Tony’s right-hand person at the restaurant, were just perfect. This group behind the camera mirrored precisely what the story on the screen was trying to accomplish and together they made a perfect team.

I gotta tell ya, have not enjoy watching Cooper since Silver Linings Playbook. The Place Beyond the Pines, American Hustle, Serena and Aloha were all duds. American Sniper was uneven and difficult to embrace. I found Cooper‘s character difficult to get behind, and his relationship there with Miller wasn’t believable. This was a much needed “welcome back” for me for Cooper. Just like the character Pat in Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper is unwavered in his delivery of Adam. It’s not easy to showcase the sensitivity of a hotshot, know-it-all. Most of the time they come across as unwanted and over-the-top “Oscar-moments”. Cooper delivered a character here that was real to me and the devastation which he must withstood and overcome was surprisingly believable. The transformation of Adam showcased here wouldn’t have worked any other way.

I don’t know much about John Wells’ work. I sure am a fan now. His over-the-shoulder POV style of most of the scenes is precisely how I would have shot it because it’s very effective and the look is simply gorgeous. The understated plot of a family being built is well conceived and ultimately made this film great. Very much like the team in front of the camera the film portrays, the team behind is just as good, and Wells helmed it masterfully. I would only point out that since the restaurant is on the ground floor, the window shades would be drawn at night for the guests’ privacy so even though the streets of London are magnificent at night, it’s a detail I wouldn’t have overlooked. All the ground floor 3-Michelin Star restaurants I’ve been to have done so.

I am very fond of Jon Favreau’s Chef; I still am. I am just on such a high for Burnt that I think it may be slightly better. Let me calm down and I will decipher between the two in a year or so. I feel so bad that so few people have seen this film, or were turned away because of the critics. It’s on cable; catch it; absorb it; love it.