Why So Blu?

Burnt (Blu-ray Review)

Chef Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) had it all and lost it. 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. 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). BURNT is a remarkably funny and emotional story about the love of food, the love between two people, and the power of second chances. 

Film  

Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) was a successful Chef on his way to earning a third Michelin star for his culinary endeavors but then the lad self destructed and threw it all away. He lost his friends, family, and went into full alcoholic/junky overdrive. After a couple of years of self-reflecting and penance Adam has returned, like the phoenix, to rise from the ashes and land his own kitchen once again and earn himself that ever elusive 3-star Michelin rating.

Along the way he’ll have to get moral support from fellow chefs that he betrayed, women in his life that he also betrayed, and counselors. No one ever said rising from the proverbial she’s was going to be easy but Adam is determined to be great again. Going into Burnt I only knew of what I saw in terms of trailers, which didn’t do anything for me, and the fact that Steven Knight wrote the screenplay – and I am a big Steven Knight fan. I also knew of John Wells from HBO’s Shameless series, so that helped, too.

As the film begins and we start to get to know Adam I started to get flashbacks from his Silver Linings Playbook character (I hated that movie, by the way) and thought that he would be a caricature of that film’s main character. I’m glad that it wasn’t a carbon copy but there are similarities mainly in the temperament. As Adam gets the ball rolling he discovers a fellow chef named Helene (Sienna Miller) who he thinks would make a great chef by his side at the restaurant he’s at now. This restaurant that he is in now belongs to the son of the man that trained and mentored him.

Now, as far as films go, Burnt is competently made and has a cool ensemble cast – yes, Uma Thurman and Emma Thompson make small appearances – and goes as well as it can. There was something about these actors though, that I didn’t fully buy them as accomplished chefs. Maybe I’ve watched Gordon Ramsey and others do it for real that watching the cast of Burnt make fancy cuisine just didn’t ring as real as it should have.

On the upside – the cuisine, production design, certain character motivations, and the overall Blu-ray itself more than made up for any shortcomings. Burnt is certainly not bland. It doesn’t deserve a 3-star Michelin score but will get a 3-star score from nonetheless. Burnt is simple entertainment and nothing more. Add some hot sauce if you like.

Video 

Encoding: AVC/MPEG-4

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Clarity/Detail: Burnt looks extremely clear and crisp, with no signs of tinkering about. The contrast and sharpness levels are steady and natural – lens flares were not spotted.

Depth: I thing you may want to grab a plate, knife, spoon, and a fork, because the depth is incredible – just be careful not to scratch up your television screen as you dig into the food.

Black Levels: Black levels are natural and crush-free.

Color Reproduction: The color palette is downright phenomenal on this Blu-ray – I will be surprise if folks don’t drool at some of the delectable items being served in the kitchen.

Flesh Tones: Everyone looks healthy and is ready to get cooking.

Noise/Artifacts: Noise and artifacts were not a problem.

Audio 

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD MA 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Dynamics: The lossless soundtrack is exceptional and balances out the visual palette with a sonic touch – the subtleties are nuance yet complex. It’s a winner.

Low Frequency Extension: The low-end bass tends to keep things funky but not overpowering.

Surround Sound Presentation: The kitchens on display in this film are busy and at capacity. You will be in the middle of it all, so grab an apron and get to it.

Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is clean and clear.

 

Extras  

The special features included on the Blu-ray are quite nice – nothing too excessive, but not quite so light. It’s a filling treat. There’s a cool commentary with the director of the film and chef consultant, who made everyone look good in the kitchen. Deleted scenes, a featurette, and Q&A wrap up the special features on this Blu-ray. Oh, there’s also a Digital HD Copy included for your portable viewing pleasure.

• Feature Commentary with Director John Wells and Executive Chef Consultant Marcus Wareing 

• Deleted Scenes (HD)

• Burnt In the Kitchen with Bradley Cooper (HD)

• Q&A Highlights with Director & Cast (HD)

• Digital HD UltraViolet Copy 

 

Summary  

Burnt was the not the train wreck I was expecting. Being a fan of John Wells (Shameless) certainly helped and it’s somewhat the opposite of the show but does keep the dysfunction going in this film. The cast definitely helps, too. The Blu-ray looks and sounds great and the special features are filled with more than fluff this time out. Burnt is no masterpiece but it is watchable.

 

 

Burnt is available on Blu-ray & DVD!

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