There are not too many films that can capture the electricity of a high end kitchen. Something about the confined space of a cooking space and the idea of food being a central character in a story and more often times than not, a movie about chefs misses the mark. Surprisingly, the Bradley Cooper starring Burnt is not one of those movies.
Burnt, at its heart, is a redemption movie and that is why it works so well.
Cooper plays Adam Jones, a man we learn has burned every bridge he has built and as we meet him, he is shucking oysters in New Orleans. It is sort of a self-exile move where he has sentenced himself to one million oysters as his penance for all the wrongs he has done. Right off the bat, we have to salute Burnt for being a redemption tale that doesn’t bog down its story by actually showing us what the evil-doer did to deserve to be so reviled. Burnt simply starts with Jones at the bottom and we get to hear about what he did as he makes his climb back up the culinary ladder.
What a concept! A film that gives its audience credit for having the intelligence to be able to figure out how dastardly our protagonist was in the past that he was in fact his own worst antagonist — without having to show us. As such, there is time for character development and a growth of a soul that can simmer and flourish over two hours, all under the well-meaning guidance of director John Wells (August: Osage County).
The Movie Mensch is not the biggest fan of chefs in the movies being treated like they are rock stars worthy of worship. But in the hands of Cooper, his chef is a man full of faulty wiring that allows us to feel his vulnerability and pull for him to make amends and truly find his way back. His dream is to get his third Michelin star, something that seems almost impossible given his background of alienating everyone who cares about him or appreciates his talents.
A character that brings the best out of him is played by Sienna Miller, who has reteamed with Cooper after their success on American Sniper. Her Helene, at first, resists working for and with the famed chef because she has much to lose and can’t afford attaching herself to someone who might self-destruct (again). Through her willingness to give him a second chance, we the audience can see how this arrogant (expletive) could be given a second chance. He’s charming. He’s talented and most importantly, he’s repentant.
Cooper makes this potentially thankless role work as well. He’s got the acting gravitas to make you pull for someone who our better judgement has thinking is more of a jerk than someone with a heart of gold. But in Jones’ redemption, we’re allowed to see that no matter how horrible our mistakes are, we too deserve a second chance. If this guy can make his way back to the top once again, then maybe, just maybe, the rest of us can find our way back should we get lost.
Grade: B