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

Righting History's Wrongs..."Woman In Gold"

Woman In Gold (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Bruhl, Katie Holmes, Tatiana Maslany, Max Irons

Directed by Simon Curtis

The Story:

Maria Altmann (Mirren) decides after the passing of her sister that she should attempt to reclaim a painting of her aunt that was stolen by the Nazis during WWII. The problem, it's been hanging in a museum in Austria for decades, and they aren't interested in giving it back. She enlists a young lawyer (Reynolds) to help her. The two set out on an uphill battle to reclaim what was stolen from them decades earlier.

Here's a sweet little movie that's base on a true story.

Through flashbacks that show Maria (Maslany) attempting to escape the Nazis after they invaded Austria, the viewers get to know her and her family's story.

That the portrait of her aunt was stolen by the Nazis is criminal, what the Austrian government did with the painting in the decades that followed was genuinely unforgivable as well.

That's where this movie shines, in the David vs. Goliath scenarios where they take on the Austrian government to correct this historical inaccuracy.

I wanted to like this movie more than I did, but the pacing of the film is a bit on the slow side, which is saying something for a movie that goes past the 90 minute mark of most movies but falls short of the 2 hour running time for most dramas.

Still an enjoyable movie to say the least, and the performances are very well done, which is always the case with Mirren. It's nice, if odd, to see Reynolds as a bit of a timid nerd who doesn't have the snarky comebacks that we've come to expect of Ryan Reynolds, or any character played by Ryan Reynolds.

Plus, I know I badmouth other films for excessive use of language which makes movies that could be PG-13 into R rated films, so I would like to commend the writers/director here for dropping only 1 f-bomb in the movie, and when it hits, it resonates. You can feel the frustration of the character.

That's how language is supposed to work, and shows how effective a good script that doesn't consider profanity as necessary as nouns and verbs can be.

Bravo.

Final Grade: B

What A "Rush" !!

Rush (2013)
Rated R for language, nudity

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl

Directed by Ron Howard

The Story:

The intertwining story of two drivers destined and determined to be Formula 1 drivers. The first, James Hunt (Hemsworth), lady killer and all around cocky Brit.  His rival, Austrian Niki Lauda (Bruhl), who is icy and meticulous.  Their rivalry culminates in 1976 as the two battle for the championship.

Based on a true story.

I opted for a later poster to represent this film.  The original, a close-up of Hemsworth indicated that the movie was centered on his character, James Hunt.  And really, the movie is based on his life... and yet...

It is the fascinating counterpoint of Lauda who brings balance and interest to this film.  It is easy to see why Hunt was going to be successful, he was boastful and a braggart who backed up his bravado on and off the track.

But the sheer determination of Lauda to succeed when he was an uncharismatic robot that nobody liked, even his own teammates, is the crucial piece of dramatic device that is needed to make this movie, and their rivalry, work.

When an accident nearly claims one of these two during their run for the championship, it is the sheer anger of watching their rival go for the championship that drives him to get better, get out of bed, and against all odds, get back onto that track!  Insane and unheard of, but it happened.

The racing scenes are spectacular, but nothing you don't expect when you're watching any Howard film.  He always gives it 100%.  Another feather in the directing career of Ron Howard who simply makes entertaining movies.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again, but no need to own it.