Bradley Cooper is back in theatres this week with a new film. He plays the role of a chef gunning for perfection in the culinary drama 'Burnt.'
The two-time academy award nominee plays Adam Jones, a former star of the Parisian dining scene who goes off the deep-end after his drug use and hotheaded personality cause him to lose his restaurant and his coveted Michelin stars. He attempts to re-establish his career and reputation in London with the help of Sienna Miller's Helene. The film also stars Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson, and Alicia Vikander.
The thought of Cooper unleashing his inner Gordon Ramsay on the big screen sounded like an interesting proposition. Unfortunately, feedback from critics indicates that 'Burnt' needs to be sent back to the kitchen.
The New York Times' Neil Genzlinger says that the film might have been something special 20 years ago; but the recent influx of progressive chefs and high end cuisine espoused by the likes of Ferran Adria, Rene Redzepi, and their ilk have made Burnt's subject matter a little tired.
'In recent years, though, mercurial chefs, photogenic plates of grub and kitchen dramatics have been everywhere, especially reality television, both lowbrow and high-end. The food-as-art world has become a bit tiresome, except to those who live in it or can afford to eat this stuff five nights a week.' He writes.
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times says that under the film's unique culinary setting hides a run of the mill redemption tale. He says, 'As an often cliché-riddled tale of redemption on the big screen, "Burnt" is the equivalent of a sleek, well-lit, trendy restaurant serving up a mildly creative dishes on an otherwise predictable menu.'
The film currently has a 24% rating on review aggregator RottenTomatoes.
