Burnt (film)
Burnt | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | John Wells |
Screenplay by | Steven Knight |
Story by | Michael Kalesniko |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Adriano Goldman |
Edited by | Nick Moore |
Music by | Rob Simonsen |
Distributed by | The Weinstein Company |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Languages |
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Budget | $20 million[2] |
Box office | $36.6 million[3] |
Burnt is a 2015 American drama film directed by John Wells and written by Steven Knight, from a story by Michael Kalesniko.[4] The film stars Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Omar Sy, Daniel Brühl, Matthew Rhys, Riccardo Scamarcio, Alicia Vikander, Uma Thurman and Emma Thompson. The film was released on October 30, 2015, by The Weinstein Company.
Plot
Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) was the chef at a high-class Parisian restaurant owned by his mentor Jean-Luc, until his drug use and temperamental behavior destroyed his career and the restaurant. In the aftermath, Adam went into self-imposed exile in New Orleans to sober up, planning to head to London to restart his career and attempt to earn a third Michelin star.
In London, Adam searches for old colleagues, beginning with his mentor's former maître d'hôtel, Tony Balerdi (Daniel Brühl), now a hotel manager of The Langham Hotel in London, under the ownership of the Balerdi family. Although Tony distrusts Adam, he hires him for the hotel's restaurant and allows him to live at the hotel. Adam visits an old friend and notes the talent of his sous-chef Helene (Sienna Miller), but she dislikes him. Adam tracks down Michel (Omar Sy), a Paris colleague whose restaurant he had sabotaged out of jealousy. Michel forgives Adam and agrees to work for him. Adam then visits a cutting-edge eatery run by Reece (Matthew Rhys), with whom he has a long-standing rivalry, and the visit ends poorly. Adam's former drug dealer realizes he has returned to Europe and attempts to collect Adam's outstanding debt, and suffering from financial difficulties, is subsequently kicked out of the hotel for those reasons.
Adam convinces famed restaurant critic Simone (Uma Thurman) to dine at Tony's hotel. Tony realises that Adam set this up and is reluctant to let him cook, but the condition the kitchen is in, which will result in Simone shutting his restaurant down, he allows Adam to cook, seeing no other way out. Simone's favourable review convinces Tony to renovate the hotel's kitchen and hire Adam as head chef permanently. He stipulates that Adam must submit to weekly drug tests with Tony's psychiatrist Dr. Rosshilde (Emma Thompson). Adam agrees to the tests, although he is disinterested in therapy and throws himself into preparations for the grand opening. Another old friend, Max (Riccardo Scamarcio), joins Adam's team after being released from prison. Helene rebuffs further job offers until her old boss fires her and sends her to Adam's kitchen. Helene is irate about being fired, but Adam convinces her to work for him by tripling her salary.
Opening night is a disaster, and Adam furiously closes early, blaming Helene. He publicly humiliates her, escalating from verbal to physical aggression, and she quits. Adam goes on a talk show that he previously turned down to drum up publicity for the restaurant. At his second opening, a restaurant critic gives a positive review, enraging Reece. Tony convinces Helene to return with a doubled salary and some insight about Adam's behavior. Adam improves his attitude, but refuses her request for time off for her daughter Lily's birthday. Later, he notices his kitchen acting in a strange manner. Helene reveals that her daughter is at the restaurant under Tony's supervision, since she did not want to spend her birthday at home. Adam is upset, but relents and bakes Lily a birthday cake, which impresses Helene.
With the restaurant's reputation established, Adam sets his sights on a Michelin star, still avoiding his drug dealer, even after Tony offers to pay off his debt. Adam takes Helene to the reopening of Reece's restaurant. Adam and Reece are civil, but the night derails when Adam spots his ex-girlfriend Anne Marie (Alicia Vikander), the daughter of his mentor. Adam finds Anne Marie surprisingly forgiving after he abandoned her in Paris and missed her father's funeral. The encounter leaves Adam shaken and introspective about his failure in Paris. The next morning, Helene finds him and they kiss.
They are interrupted by the drug dealer's thugs, who take Adam away. He returns that night during dinner service beaten and bruised. Two Michelin reviewers arrive, and he cooks for them rather than going to the hospital. They send their meals back as too spicy, and Michel reveals he sabotaged them as revenge for Adam's past cruelty before walking out. On the verge of a breakdown, Adam leaves the restaurant.
He wanders the city, eventually arriving at Reece's restaurant drunk. Once inside, he begins to break down emotionally. Reece soothes him, and they part on better terms the following morning. Adam attends a group therapy session, then returns to the hotel, where he learns that Anne Marie has paid off his debt. She gives him her father's knives and tells him that she approves of Helene. Tony and Helene find Adam and tell him that the two men they thought were Michelin reviewers were actually just businessmen on a trip. Adam rejoices at the opportunity of a second chance, and he and Helene kiss.
Altered by his experiences, Adam changes the way he runs the kitchen. As a result of his improved attitude and teamwork, the restaurant receives its third Michelin star. At the end, he sits down to eat the family meal with the kitchen crew, who are his new family.
Cast
- Bradley Cooper as Adam Jones
- Sienna Miller as Helene Sweeney
- Omar Sy as Michel
- Daniel Brühl as Tony Balerdi
- Riccardo Scamarcio as Max
- Sam Keeley as David
- Alicia Vikander as Anne Marie
- Matthew Rhys as Montgomery Reece
- Uma Thurman as Simone
- Emma Thompson as Dr. Rosshilde
- Lily James as Sara
- Sarah Greene as Kaitlin
- Jamie Dornan as Leon Sweeney (scenes deleted)[5]
Production
Development
In 2013, John Wells was set to direct a cooking comedy film, eventually entitled Burnt, with Bradley Cooper signed to star as a former Paris chef, Adam Jones.[6] Sienna Miller signed as lead actress.[7] Omar Sy, Jamie Dornan, Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl, Alicia Vikander and Lily James were also set to star in the film.[8] Dornan's appearance was later removed due to cuts and adjustments in the storyline and Lily James's role revealed to be a cameo.[5] Dornan's scenes were added to the home release.[9] The film was originally entitled Chef, and re-titled Adam Jones on July 24, 2014, to avoid confusion with Jon Favreau's film Chef. Uma Thurman joined the cast around this time.[10] According to Deadline Hollywood, as of July 28, 2014, Weinstein was calling the film Untitled John Wells project, until they could decide on a better title.[11] On August 7, 2014, Matthew Rhys was added to the cast, playing chef Jones' rival, Reece.[12] On July 29, 2015, the film was re-titled Burnt.[13]
Filming
Principal photography on the film began July 23, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana, filming for two days.[14][15] Production then moved to London[10] and West London Film Studios.
Post-production
On October 2, 2014, Nick Moore was hired for the film editing job.[16] During editing of the film, Jamie Dornan's scenes were cut from the finished version.[5]
Marketing
The first poster, with the new title Burnt, was released on August 7, 2015.[17][18] Cooper introduced a sneak peek of the film on the Today show on August 10, 2015.[19] The Weinstein Company released the teaser trailer on August 14, 2015.[20] On September 21, 2015, the first international trailer was released.[21] On September 28, 2015, producers released the first full-length trailer for the film and on October 29, 2015, released a clip featuring Vikander and Cooper online.[22][23]
Release
The film was scheduled to be released on October 2, 2015, but in July 2015, The Weinstein Company moved the release date to October 23, 2015.[13] The plan then was to give the film a limited release on October 23, 2015, before a wide release on October 30, 2015.[24] However, they cancelled the limited release plan and immediately released the film nationwide, on October 30, 2015.[25]
Reception
Box office
Burnt grossed $13.7 million in North America and $23.0 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $36.6 million, against a budget of $20 million.[3]
The film opened on October 30, 2015, alongside Our Brand Is Crisis and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. In its opening weekend, the film was projected to gross $7–9 million from 3,003 theaters.[26] However, it only ended up grossing $5 million, finishing sixth at the box office, and marking the second straight underperforming opener for Cooper, following Aloha ($9.7 million opening against its $37 million budget).[27]
Critical response
Burnt received negative reviews from critics, who praised Cooper's performance but derided the script and storytelling. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 28%, based on 155 reviews, with an average rating of 4.94/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Burnt offers a few spoonfuls of compelling culinary drama, but they're lost in a watery goulash dominated by an unsavory main character and overdone clichés."[28] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 42 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[29] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale.[26]
Justin Chang of Variety praised Cooper's performance but was critical of the script: "Steven Knight’s script pours on the acid but holds the depth, forcing its fine actors (including Sienna Miller and Daniel Bruhl) to function less as an ensemble than as a motley sort of intervention group."[30]
References
- ^ "BURNT (15)". British Board of Film Classification. October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ Faughnder, Ryan (October 28, 2015). "Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper face 'The Martian' as Halloween spooks box office". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ a b "Burnt (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- ^ Chang, Justin (October 21, 2015). "Film Review: 'Burnt'". Variety. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Jamie Dornan's part in 'Burnt' has been cut". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ "John Wells Deal To Direct Bradley Cooper In 'Chef'". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Sienna Miller Boards John Wells' 'Chef' with Bradley Cooper". MovieWeb.
- ^ "Jamie Dornan's First Movie After 'Fifty Shades of Grey' – Bradley Cooper's 'Adam Jones'". TheWrap.
- ^ Heimbrod, Mimi (January 5, 2016). "'Fifty Shades Darker' Star Jamie Dornan's Deleted Scene From 'Burnt' Released". Design & Trend. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Bradley Cooper's Chef Pic Whips Up New Title, Adds Uma Thurman". Deadline Hollywood. July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (July 28, 2014). "'Chef' Re-Title Sent Back To Kitchen As Harvey Weinstein Cooks Up Something Tastier". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ Fleming, Jr., Mike (August 7, 2014). "'The Americans' Matthew Rhys Is Bradley Cooper's Nemesis In TWC French Food Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ a b Lowe, Kinsey (July 29, 2015). "'Carol' Gets A Head Start On Awards Season, 'Adam Jones' Retitled 'Burnt'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ Christine (July 24, 2014). "'Adam Jones', starring Bradley Cooper, filming in New Orleans this week before moving to Ealing Studios in London". onlocationvacations.com. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (July 24, 2014). "Shoot begins on Adam Jones". Screen Daily. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- ^ Caranicas, Peter (October 2, 2014). "Below the Line Bookings". Variety. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^ "Check out our official movie poster over on @IMDb!". Burnt Movie. Twitter. August 7, 2015.
- ^ Evry, Max (August 10, 2015). "Burnt Poster: Bradley Cooper is a Chef on the Edg". ComingSoon.net.
- ^ "First look at Bradley Cooper's next film 'Burnt'". Today. August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- ^ BURNT - Official Teaser Trailer. August 14, 2015 – via YouTube.
- ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (September 28, 2015). "Bradley Cooper Cooks Up Drama In New International Trailer And Images For 'Burnt'". Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ BURNT - Official Trailer. September 28, 2015 – via YouTube.
- ^ Zuckerman, Esther (October 29, 2015). "Bradley Cooper & Alicia Vikander Meet Awkward In This Exclusive Burnt Clip". Refinery29.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
- ^ Alessandro, Anthony D' (October 7, 2015). "Bradley Cooper Chef Dramedy 'Burnt' Changes Up Its Serving Plans Slightly". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (October 30, 2015). "Bradley Cooper-Starring Chef Drama 'Burnt' Pulled From Limited Release". Indiewire.com. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
- ^ a b "Bradley Cooper, 'The Martian' To Scare Away Sandra Bullock & 'Scouts' At Halloween B.O. – Preview". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Star-Driven Casualties 'Our Brand Is Crisis' & 'Burnt' At The B.O.: What The Hell Happened?". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Burnt (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- ^ "Burnt". Metacritic. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ Chang, Justin (October 21, 2015). "Film Review: 'Burnt'". Variety.
External links
- Burnt at IMDb
- Burnt at Box Office Mojo
- Burnt at Rotten Tomatoes
- Burnt at Metacritic
- 2015 films
- American films
- English-language films
- French-language films
- 2010s comedy-drama films
- American comedy-drama films
- Cooking films
- Films about food and drink
- Films about chefs
- Films directed by John Wells
- Films set in London
- Films set in Paris
- Films set in restaurants
- Films shot in London
- Films shot in Paris
- Films with screenplays by Steven Knight
- 3 Arts Entertainment films