BRADLEY COOPER IN STARRING IN BURNT

year: 2015

Originally titled CHEF, there was an indie film with the same title that refused to be changed, so a promo poster with Bradley Cooper adorning the entire frame was simply called ADAM JONES. Doesn't say much about the story; just a first and last name. Easy as pie, and the A-list star could sell just about anything...

Well it turns out, what became BURNT centers on a complicated guy who happens to be not only a chef/cook, but he's secretly, for those in the know, the best in the world. He has his share of quirks and neurosis, and can't get along with anyone, despite winding up way-too-easily owning an English restaurant to gain a Three Star rating... slightly less than this vehicle deserves... which could be retitled SILVER LININGS COOKBOOK for Cooper's usual spontaneous aura, at times guided by a documentary-style camera: But without a real plot, an engaging ingenue/romance, and a reason for the talented star to be involved in the first place, Cooper's built-in, natural intensity is all but wasted as he deals with fellow chefs, mafia goons, and worst yet, himself, messing things up as they start getting just right, and things never really do... both in his life and the movie itself: simmering without ever sizzling.

RATING: **1/2