People are probably tired of hearing me say what is going to be said now, being not the first time it's been said. Only because it is applicable to more than one film. 'Burnt' had an interesting idea that indicated a good story if done right, a talented cast deserving of material worthy of them and it would certainly entice anybody who enjoys their food and likes fine dining. 'Burnt' is not an awful film by any stretch and certainly is not a film with no redeeming values, but it is not hard to see why reviews were lukewarm to negative. There was a good film somewhere in 'Burnt', sadly despite such great promise it never emerges. Essentially it was a lukewarm bland film that would have basically fared better with less ingredients and cooked the remaining elements all the way through. There are things that work in 'Burnt's' favour and stops it from being completely raw. Sorry for the food/cooking references, can't resist. The best thing about it is Bradley Cooper, an excellent performance that burns with intensity regardless of the one-dimensional and trying-too-hard-to-be-a-demon-chef way his character is written. Daniel Bruhl also rises above the material. Sienna Miller gives 'Burnt' some heart and charm, a very competent performance actually considering what was given to her (which generally was not a whole lot to write home about) and her personal life, while very clichéd, is somewhat identifiable and just about avoids the over-sentimentality route. It's competently filmed, the soundtrack while not unforgettable is nice enough and the food is delicious-looking and how the ways it's cooked is portrayed makes one want to cook something in your own privacy.Not all the cast come off well, well actually the rest of the cast. They all try their best, but they are either wasted (Emma Thompson), useless (Alicia Vikander, her character and writing rather than her) or forgettable (Uma Thurman). They are undone by a half-baked script that not even the excessive swearing can give heat to, apart from the odd witty line, and sketchy characterisation where any attempts at development is generally vague. Its portrayal of how kitchen life works came over as over-heated, as fulfilling and exciting it can be it is also very stressful but not to an extent that feels like a wannabe version of 'Hell's Kitchen', if nowhere near as fake or staged but without the savage and hilarious one-liners and insults (at least on that show Gordon Ramsay has a reason to act that way, the main character's behaviour was far too extreme and out of order regardless of his struggles to atone). It certainly does not make one seriously consider going into cooking as a profession, have dealt with my fair share of pressure but this amount shown here would see me quit within hours. Even with the presence of food, it could have featured more and 'Burnt' never feels like a celebration of it and lacks any kind of joy or colour. Its attempts at dissecting the chef's mind never goes deep enough or explored properly, it just feels vague and under-done. The underworld debt subplot never catches fire and lacks tension completely, wouldn't have said no to it being left out and the film finding another way of the main character starting afresh. The film and its messaging may have been identifiable and relevant, if it rang true, had subtlety, had a main character worth rooting for and didn't override itself in clichés. 'Burnt' is a failure at all four (though the third point has no bearing on Cooper), big missed opportunity.At the end of the day, 'Burnt' was an at times digestible but empty experience, an under-cooked recipe that never reaches the boil let alone burns. 4/10 Bethany Cox

The movie was very good I have seen a different story after so many years must watch

(Flash Review)It appears the director aimed to portray Gordon Ramsey and what life may be like if you interact with him, only leave out Gordon's unique and arguable charm. The story arc was rather vanilla about a phenomenal chef who ruined his own early success for a decade and now is revitalized and wants to make another go at it in hopes of achieving the rare three Michelin stars. Yet he is still rude and harshly passionate while in the kitchen and in life. There were too many cliché moments and the romance angle was not believable. The plot focused more around the protagonist, his emotions and problems with the food as an afterthought. That's OK but they had a slew of elegant food shots but the editing was so frantic during those scenes that you couldn't even see what the food was or the beauty of the plating. At least give us that much in a high end food movie. The positives were the production and the acting as Bradley Cooper was great and Sienna Miller was invisible as her character. The Hundred-Foot Journey was a better food/chef movie and that was just a step above average.

Iam an admirer of Bradley cooper and watched the movie due to his presence. All the characters are well placed and not wasted. It was good seeing Uma Thurman. Sienna Miller and cooper had a good chemistry going on between them throughout the film. Bradley cooper plays an ambitious chef who lost his way early due to drugs. Cooper handled french convincingly enough. The movie is not circled around a big story but a very well paced feel good one. It is the tale of every failed individual who makes a comeback to achieve the glory.