Burnt (2015), R, ★★

Bradley Cooper as this year's chef. 

This is a sample that tries to get your attention of you haven't seen before, putting in a little of food metaphors. However, there are numerous food and chef reality shows that tries to get you into the passion of cooking and baking something that you or others have never experienced before. It's fusion of flavors and taste that will get you craving for more. However, I have seen some movies regarding cooking and passion for cooking and food itself that stirred my creative vibes and taste buds into a soul search for something different. But, this is not a movie that earns a Michelin star for originality because this movie does not urge to crave for more.

Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) is a rising chef who had the ambition to become a great chef with a great reputation in the culinary world in Paris. However, his background is dark as he succumbs to some tempestuous activities such as alcoholism, sex and drugs and destroys the relationship with the daughter of his beloved mentor. His credit card has been cancelled because of his mannerisms and activity so he holds back and retreats from the culinary world for a while.

A decade later, Adam is sober and broke and tries to redeem himself from his temptation to work in a London kitchen to get that coveted additional star to build his reputation to a three-star chef. He puts it into "Star Wars" terms, as one star is Luke Skywalker, two stars is Obi-Wan Kenobi and three stars is Yoda. Oooookkkkkk.... However, his comeuppance is mostly supported many people from the staff and in the culinary world - Helene (Sienna Miller), a sous chef, a fellow chef, Michel (Omar Sy), Tony (Daniel Bruhl), a gay maitre'd and other people. This is your typical formulaic chef story about redemption.

Sienna Miller and Bradley Cooper reunited. 

Well-lit choreographed kitchen scenes, sumptuous shots of food on dishes and great cinematography, but they do not support the material well enough to engage in both the characters and the story itself because we definitely have an idea as to what will happen with Adam in the end. But, also the main character is someone we have and want to sympathize but I never felt much sympathy towards his character. He's an unlikable jerk that is supposed to embody a "Gordon-Ramsey" like of personality, however, Ramsey himself has some charisma supporting him. But, in this movie, it's familiar and forced charisma placed upon him.

Bradley Cooper delivers another committed performance as he, in reality, has trained himself to be the character by practicing to chop up some vegetables and cook professionally. However, this is another movie with a fine performance in another boring and familiar character. But, he and Sienna Miller reunite after their first encounter in American Sniper and both of them are still terrific together and they create the best scene in the movie with her daughter tasting a cake for her birthday. Daniel Bruhl is great, but, his character is a bit insulting and offensive to the gay community in particular with one scene in the movie that I cannot provide spoilers. Omar Sy is terrific and Emma Thompson and Uma Thurman have flashes of humor in their small roles.

There are fine performances but this seemingly well-lit and familiar drama turns into a parody of a drama and if they reversed the movie into a comedy, it would have worked. This is a movie, if compared to a restaurant, that is delivered in a sort of decent portion but not enough wow factor in a four star restaurant. I mean, the entire movie is predictable from start to finish in an otherwise good-looking film. If I recommend a better film about the passion for cooking, watch Jon Favreau's Chef from last year. Director John Wells has flair for this appetite with some somewhat subtle and humorous dialogue. This is an "undercooked" movie.

**