Being a self-proclaimed “foodie”, as well as a lover of anything that has to do with Bradley Cooper, I knew seeing his latest box office release was imperative.

“Burnt” is the story of a young American chef named Adam Jones, who is played by Cooper.

Jones once had a promising career as a widely known chef in the restaurant world but his overuse of drugs quickly ended that.

After getting clean, he is offered a job in London by his former maitre d’, Tony, played by Daniel Bruhl. 

Tony is very reluctant because he knows of Jones’ past, but decides to give Jones a second chance as the head chef of Tony’s restaurant.

Jones is determined to keep his drug-fueled demons at bay and return on top, this time hoping to earn the restaurant three Michelin stars.

Michelin stars come from the oldest European hotel and reference guide. Select establishments are awarded stars for excellence.

Three stars, according to the guide, would mean the restaurant has “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey” (“Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage”).

So, Jones works with Helene, played by Sienna Miller, and Michel, played by Omar Sy, to put his plan into action.

I absolutely loved that Cooper and Miller worked together again. Seeing how perfectly they seemed to fit together in “American Sniper”, I was the least bit shocked to see their excellent acting performance together in “Burnt.”

“Burnt” gave a great inside look as to how fast chefs move while under the scrutiny of their guests.

Their impeccable timing and art of perfecting every last bite of their prepared meal was heavily shown throughout the film.

Most of the “heavy stuff” came from Cooper who threw tantrums and raged on in the kitchen, similar to chef Gordon Ramsay, who ironically has earned his restaurant 14 Michelin stars.

If there is one thing this movie has taught me, it is that controlling your demons is hard but focusing that energy into something positive and creative will greatly turn your life around.

The film hit a slight lull when Jones tries to woo Helene.

Don’t get me wrong, their romance is cute and the acting is amazing, but Jones’ pickup lines are just so…cheesy (pun intended.)

I will be on the lookout for the remake where chef Ramsay replaces Cooper and the rest of the actors are scared out of their minds.

Maybe then this comedy-drama will add more spice (pun intended, again) to it.

I give “Burnt” three out of five stars.

Rose Sacco can be reached at 581-2812 or rcsacco@eiu.edu.