There Must Be Something Better On The Food Network..."Burnt"

Burnt (2015)

Rated R

Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Bruhl, Omar Sy, Emma Thompson, Uma Thurman,

Directed by John Wells

The Story:

Adam Jones (Cooper) was an amazing American chef who was the toast of Paris and had it all, then lost it by his behavior and addictions. Now clean and sober, he's been saving up money to get back into the game and earn the third Michelin star. He gathers an assortment of top-notch London chefs to back him in his quest, including Helene (Miller) who can't stand the idea of working for him. Can he pull off the impossible?

For starters, this movie isn't 2 hours long.

Felt like it in some stretches, but it isn't that long.

But take that plot synopsis and I bet you've figured out exactly where this road is heading.

For some reason, Hollywood thinks that movies about chefs are great and they feel the need to keep making them.

This is not Ratatouille.

I think it's time for Hollywood to find another glamorous job to portray on the silver screen.

The 15 minutes for the restaurant chef are really over.

Otherwise, no real complaints for the movie.

Everyone does what they are supposed to do, and every plot device you can check off in your head is going to unfold onscreen.

No surprises.

No real substance though, either.

Final Grade: C

A Movie You Can Sink Your Teeth Into... "Chef"

Chef (2014)

Rated R

Starring Jon Favreau, Oliver Platt, John Leguizamo, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara, Emjay Anthony

Written and Directed by Jon Favreau

The Story:

Chef Casper (Favreau) is preparing a master feast for the premiere restaurant critic in town (Platt) . However, the owner (Hoffman) wants to play it safe and go with the old standby, after all, that's what made them famous. The critic tanks the place, Casper loses his mind, and his son (Anthony) just wants to hang out with his dad. However, when Casper gets an old food truck, his best friend (Leguizamo) and son and go on a cross-country trek during the summer, Casper rediscovers the magic that had been dormant for so long and his food is going viral, but in a good way. :)

See also the autobiography of Jon Favreau replacing food with movies. ;)

Favreau started as an indie crowd pleaser before getting called up to the big leagues to helm big studio hits (Elf, Iron Man).

Apparently along the way, he lost a bit of himself and what he wanted to do was see if he could reclaim his magic.

In Chef, he does just that.

He brings his indie sensibilities back to the forefront, but this time he's able to bring some of his A-list pals that he's made along the way with him.

They are brief, but memorable characters, but at the end of the day, this is a story about a man reconneecting with the passions in his life:

1) Food
2) Son
3) Wife

Now is the part where I have to dock Favreau just like everyone else or then I appear to be a hypocrite.

The story of a son and father reconnecting?
That's PG-13 fare my friend.

Dial the language back a bit, broaden the audience, let me share a pretty fun road trip with the family, and you've got an instant addition to the library.

Again, that's me and my soapbox.

To me, a few of the tirades are fine (and funny).  However, that's the point of language.

Restrain it, and when you do unleash profanity, it underscores the emotional impact of the scene.

Use it all the time, it's just another adjective or adverb that keeps the audience limited.

My two cents.

Either way, still a good movie and worthwhile viewing.


Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again, and like I said, had the language been toned down, this would have been a no-brainer for best of the year honors.