Chef Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) had it all – and lost it in “Burnt.” The former enfant terrible of the Paris restaurant scene had earned two Michelin stars and only ever cared about the thrill of creating explosions of taste. Michelin awards 0 to 3 stars to restaurants on the basis of the anonymous reviews. The reviewers concentrate on the quality, mastery of technique, personality and consistency of the food, in making the awards.
To land his own kitchen and that third elusive star though, Jones will need to leave his bad habits behind and get the best of the best on his side, including the beautiful Helene (Sienna Miller). Directed by John Wells (known for his high-profile hit projects such as “ER” and “West Wing”) “Burnt,” is a remarkably funny and emotional story about the love of food, the love between two people, and the power of second chances.
Food has become a lifestyle obsession, rather than the fuel it was considered twenty years ago. Television schedules have every variation of cookery shows, the kitchen is the center of the home, farmers markets abound, cook books are the new coffee table tomes, and social media entices people to new pop up venues. Chefs are regarded as rock stars, and behave accordingly,
Director John Wells was attracted to Steven Knight's screenplay for “Burnt” partly because of this ever growing foodie culture, and partly because it was a special look into the unique world restaurateurs. Wells acknowledges that, currently, London is the world capital of fine dining. “London is where young chefs go to succeed, so it made sense that Adam goes to the place he can make the biggest impact to stage his comeback.” he says. “Being able to shoot in top restaurants and kitchens, like Michel Roux's restaurant at the Langham Hotel and the Delaunay, a recent Corbijn King restaurant, was a bonus, adding to the authenticity on screen.”
The involvement of renowned celebrity chefs and Michelin awardees was essential for the director and writer to place an audience in the middle of the action. “I couldn't have done it without chefs of that calibre, because I don't know what they do,” says Wells. “I came into this project thinking I can cook, but quickly realized I don't.”
World famous chef and restaurateur Mario Batali came on board with scribe Steven Knight in the very early stages of “Burnt’s” development. A winner of multiple James Beard awards, Batali owns restaurants in cities all over the globe, has penned numerous cookbooks and is a ubiquitous presence on the Food Network. His early days were spent training in London and Northern Italy, a background that would prove crucial to informing Knight’s script for the film. He came aboard again during the pre-production process, and his touches can be seen all over the movie, from Adam Jones’ proclamations about the almost-religious philosophy of cooking to the idea of including an oyster shack in New Orleans. He even gave Wells and Knight unrestricted access to his kitchens in New York’s Del Posto and Babbo as a teaching tool.
British chef, restaurateur and TV star Gordon Ramsay also helped the filmmakers craft “Burnt” into an authentic depiction of the industry he knows so well. Ramsay, whose restaurants boast a collective 14 Michelin stars, trained Cooper alongside Claire Smythe, Executive Chef at his signature London location Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Smythe is the first and only female chef in the UK to earn three Michelin stars.
Marcus Wareing, Michelin star chef and presenter of the top rated BBC TV Master Chef, was also approached by writer Knight. “I was intrigued to know that someone was writing a film about my world so I met Steven and we spent a lot of time talking. I told him lots of backstage stories from my own kitchen experience, and from others. It's a small world we work in, so we all know what happens in each other's kitchens.”
Wareing's interest in food began when he worked for his father in his fresh fruit and vegetable business. “The respect that my father showed for basic ingredients set me on the path I've followed since the age of 15. Working 16 hours a day, it's been my whole life.”
“I recognise myself in some of the scenes in the film. You can become a character that you don't like but I know what I had to do to get where I am now. As a chef, it can be a fine line to your dark side.” During early conversations there was never any discussion that Wareing would be part of the filming process. “My job is running restaurants and kitchens, but once Steven started writing, my life changed. Now I have a team around me that allows me to get involved in other projects, like this and Master Chef.”
Wareing was impressed with Wells’ determination to make the scenes reflect the reality of life in a Michelin star restaurant. “When the set was finished, I was envious of the size and it was difficult for me not to step into that kitchen – it looked real and felt real. The level of detail that John insisted on in that set, with the food and the kitchens, reflects what I do. John didn't want to fake it – the stoves are on, the chefs are cooking. They got better with each take, and they start to look tired and annoyed, which is what happens in a kitchen every day.”
Wells explains that during the shooting of the cooking scenes, the cast and crew were virtually running a high end kitchen. “Again, our non speaking cast members were all trained chefs, surrounding the main cast. Marcus and his team designed dozens of dishes which had to be duplicated again and again, just as if we were doing a service, putting out 50 – 80 meals that looked Michelin star quality. I think audiences are quite sophisticated and they watch a lot of programs about food and cooking these days. They have a sense of what is authentic, so it has to be done properly. Marcus and his team were on set every day, keeping us real.”
Before shooting, Wells took the professional chefs through technical rehearsals, telling everyone what would be happening in the action of the scene, and what would be happening within the service at each moment of filming. He says, “It meant that when we shot with the cast, the food was prepared to the correct stage, and each of 40 or 50 pans on hot stoves would be in the right part of the process. The heat was high every day, around 40 degrees and the sweat, the cuts and the burns you see are real, so the audience should feel they've been dropped into a real kitchen.
“We are in the world of professional kitchens, a world I didn't know a lot about, but the more research I did, the more I was convinced that Bradley was the right choice. He was very courageous to take the role on. It's not only a difficult role, requiring a nuanced performance because he is not an immediately likeable person, but it requires enormous technical skill, and a commitment to that skill. Michelin star chefs are artisans with ten to twenty years of professional training to do that part of their job that is the craft and achieve the artistry to be extraordinary in such a way to attract attention and acclaim. That was a big commitment on Bradley's part to convey that convincingly. Plus the work environment is dangerous. We built a real kitchen, with real pans on real heat, and stuff flying around at speed. “
Michelin stars are hugely important to a chef, awarded by a team of anonymous inspectors who scrutinise many aspects of the restaurants – the food, the presentation, the ambience of the restaurant and the originality of the dishes. “They are the Oscars of our world.” says Marcus Wareing. “But, unlike Oscars, they can be taken away from us, so on a day to day basis we have everything to lose. It keeps us constantly striving, challenging yourself. At the same time, if you don't achieve stars, you must recognize what you have achieved. The kitchen is the engine room but the dish has to be incredible – Mother Nature at its best, delivered by man – perfection.”
“Burnt” opens November 4 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.
