The Scene In Burnt That Went Too Far
"Burnt," the culinary film starring Bradley "too-handsome-to-be-a-chef" Cooper, came out in 2015 to mostly bad reviews. Peter Travers at Rolling Stone hated it so much he called it an "unappetizing plate of piffle" that needed to be smashed against a wall or at the very least sent back to the kitchen. Chefs also equally hated the film. Hapa Ramen founder Richie Nakano concluded that the movie falls far from nailing the true chef lifestyle (via First We Feast). Elsewhere, Momofuku mogul David Chang dedicated an entire podcast to the film and everything wrong with it, then via Twitter compared it to the In-N-Out french fries he notoriously dislikes.
Here's the plot: Once upon a time, two-Michelin star chef Adam Jones was at the top of his game in Paris until drugs and alcohol toppled his career. Newly sober and paying penance in New Orleans shucking a thousand oysters, Adam gets another shot at making it when his former maitre d' hires him as the chef of his fancy restaurant. Getting a crew together, bad-tempered and stereotypically toxic Adam goes after his dream of getting a third Michelin star, to which Nakano says, "you don't get two stars and keep them like a military general."
There's one controversial scene in what Eater calls "quite possibly the worst food movie ever made." But did this scene really go too far? Or did it try to shed light on a taboo topic? Let's discuss! And if you aren't into spoilers, stop reading now.
Bradley Cooper tries to commit suicide
One night before service, there's a hot tip that two Michelin judges have arrived. Adam Jones, freshly beaten by a couple of French drug lords he apparently still owes money to, cooks the judges a top-notch meal complete with a bloody face. But uh-oh, the meal is sent back! The soup is too spicy! We come to learn that Adam's old friend and current sous chef Michel (Omar Sy) sabotaged the food as revenge for ruining his career back in Paris. With the potential loss of his third star, Adam falls off the wagon and drunkenly contemplates jumping off a London bridge. But instead, he pays a surly visit to frienemy Reece's kitchen and pulls a sous vide vacuum bag over his head, simultaneously mocking his rival for using the technique and trying to make the world stop.
Speaking to Showbiz 411, Bradley Cooper said the bag scene was a beautiful accident that just happened — an intimate moment that bonded the two actors for life. Reese, of course, saves Adam, and later lovingly cooks him the most cheffy thing ever, a French omelet. Even though they have a long history of healthy competition, Reece (per YouTube) says one of the only lines of substance in the film, giving Adam the hope to keep going: "You're better than me. Which makes you the best. But the rest of us need you to lead us to places we wouldn't otherwise go."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).