An absolutely dry, flavourless & unsavoury meal that exhibits not an ounce of love for culinary arts despite the spectacular looking meals it keeps putting on the screen, Burnt lacks the craft, passion & dedication that goes into creating a great product and is only about an arrogant man's obsession with culinary fame & perfection without ever illustrating his love for what he does.
Burnt tells the story of Adam Jones who was once an up-and-coming chef in a Parisian restaurant before his drug habits screwed his career, following which he disappeared from the scene for few years to sober up, but finally returns to reclaim his lost glory. But plenty has changed in the world of cooking during his absence and to redeem himself, Jones has to either adapt or perish.
Directed by John Wells, the story of Burnt is simple, predictable & boring plus its lead character is uninteresting & unlikable. Written by Steven Knight, it's evident that it is inspired from the works of volatile chefs like Gordon Ramsay & Marco Pierre White but while it infuses their notorious kitchen rants, it fails to include the heart & love those chefs put in every cuisine they bring on the table.
Production design team does a marvellous job in recreating the sumptuous atmosphere of premier restaurants. Cinematography aims for the elegant look of those exquisite dishes but misses out by some fraction. Editing keeps the story on the same level with no excitement or escalation. Music is forgettable. And as far as performances go, the entire cast gives off the feeling that none of them wanted to be in it.
On an overall scale, Burnt fails to make its mark and is a dull, monotonous tale with tiny glimpses of mesmerising moments that don't amount to much in the end. Lacking the necessary prepping plus culinary skills & controlled cooking, it's astonishing how Burnt ends up being a burnt mess despite never switching on the stove at any given time for all it attempts to do is to serve its audience an unappetising, inedible picture that looks elegant only because of its fine garnishing.
