After watching a film like BURNT you find yourself wondering where the phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” comes from. The high caliber chefs in John Wells’ culinary drama do their best in teams, even if it takes a long while to get there. That’s mainly due to the enormous ego of Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper), the unrivaled superstar among chefs. It isn’t so clear why he’s the best since the qualities of a chef are mere speculation if you go by visuals alone. He is undoubtedly a master in laying into his subordinates and throwing plates and pots at the wall, though. The food that lands on the table at the London gourmet hub does admittedly look delicious: it occasionally feels like food porn when the camera captures these delectable dishes. Bradley Cooper’s Jones is less like a likable cuddly chef a la Jamie Oliver and more like rebel chef Anthony Bourdain. The excessive life filled with food, drugs, alcohol, and women has cost him his job and friends, but now he wants to go after the long sought-after third Michelin star. Thanks to Daniel Brühl in a typical Daniel Brühl role he gets the chance to do so and builds a team and begins to cook. John Wells’ (AUGUST IN ORANGE COUNTY) hasn’t made anything particularly substantial here, but the worthy supporting cast – Sienna Miller, Omar Sy, Matthew Rhys, Uma Thurman, and Emma Thompson make it an easily digestible nosh.

Michael Meyns (INDIEKINO MAGAZIN)

Translation: Elinor Lewy