story
Film review – ‘BURNT’
Bradley Cooper plays a highly driven, highly strung alpha male chef ‘Adam Jones’ who is determined to banish the wrong doings of his convoluted and messed up past. Jones is his own worst enemy but simultaneously it’s his drive to prove himself that makes him a perfect protagonist. The film begins at a point where Adam has slaved away in a small dive in New Orleans in order to redeem himself following his drug taking and destructive actions at a former workplace in Paris. Adam is pre set as a character fully aware of the damage he has caused but what he must now learn within this chapter of his life is that in order to repent you cannot afford to exclude other people from your life. Ultimately, who and what are you really fighting for if you are not even able to open up your heart to those you care about. A character that needs to lower their defences and understand that by putting faith and trust in other members of the team then you will inevitably achieve success.
The aesthetics are very eye pleasing, especially the focus on the presentation of the dishes and the vibrant lighting in Adam’s kitchen. As the movie progresses the lighting and mise en scene become more colourful representing the team as they are slowly brought to life whilst working together. As the film culminates, Adam’s kitchen exudes a completely different tone to his arch rivals kitchen which is plain, cold and lifeless, symbolising that bereft of your team you are nothing, alone and empty.
Adam becomes engrossed as he attempts to amalgamate old acquaintances from Paris with new talent in London and through this we acquire an in depth look into the stresses and tribulations faced by those in this type of industry. Wherever the characters go they cannot evade the sense of food and the burden of forever needing to improve and learn new techniques. Adam Jones demands perfection from his team (Sienna Miller, Omar Sy) and loyalty from his former maitre d’ (Daniel Brühl) in order to earn a third Michelin star. However, his temperament and aggressive behaviour wearies the team and as the film develops it is strikingly obvious that each character has a part to play in neutralising Adam to make him a more patient, humane but firm leader.
‘Burnt’ is a stylish culinary drama/comedy with a strong cast and an effortlessly edible script.
Icons – Scorsese: New York New York
Scorsese is one of my favourite auteurs and one of the best decisions he ever made was associating with the “movie brats” of the 1970s, in particular Brian De Palma who introduced him to legend Robert De Niro. After Taxi Driver, Scorsese decided to make his first big-budget movie, New York, New York, which would be a personal tribute to his hometown and his love for the classic age of the Hollywood studio musical. The theme song is one of my favourite movie soundtracks and the lyrics reflect Scorsese’s aim of making a brand new project where only his own hometown would allow him to achieve success, “My little town blues/ They’re melting away/ I’m gonna make a brand new start of it/ In old New York…”
On V-J Day 1945 a young singer, Francine (Liza Minnelli), meets an egotistical saxophone player, Jimmy (Robert De Niro), in a New York City nightclub and as their careers begin a long uphill climb their romance becomes strained. From the moment they meet there is instant opposition; Jimmy would keep pestering for her phone number while Francine kept resisting. It is only when she accompanies him to an audition that their chemistry takes an unexpected turn. The range of tracking shots, coupled with the over-use of medium long shots, is very artificial and at times claustrophobic. With the lack of close-ups it is at times difficult to get a sense of character emotion, but the rich colours Francine and Jimmy wear juxtaposed with their warring dialogue makes up for the tight space of the setting. Jimmy wears a tropical shirt connoting relaxation and calmness; however his dialogue is very direct and agitated thus tricking our sense of what he is like. The same is applied to Francine for she wears an exuberant black and white stylish dress connoting elegance and straight thinking because it is highlighting no shades of grey; what you see is what you get. In contrast, her dialogue is meddling and at times questions Jimmy’s performance. This, coupled with her devotion to her son later on, changes but she still tries to be successful in the music industry; juggling career with family has shifted to shades of grey. The way their representations change highlights the theme of you only ever really know yourself when you act in a situation you weren’t expecting.
The only bond they truly share is their love of music, but as they become immersed in the music industry they drift apart and Jimmy is not ready to take care of Francine and their new baby boy. As the movie progresses there is a real sense of tragedy because the city they had come to love and rely upon in order to feel alive and achieve success unwittingly becomes the catalyst for their broken marriage. It’s as if the films purpose was to say that in order to be happy in this town you have to be selfish and only think of yourself. This outlook on life, coupled with the use of basic enclosed studio settings suffocates the characters to a point of entrapment and in a way reflects what was happening to Scorsese during filming. His love for New York was that extreme he risked his usual filmic style for a more personal project, but became trapped and bound to a certain way of filming thus ending in disaster.
Unfortunately the movie had a weak reception and plunged Scorsese into depression and cocaine addiction until Robert De Niro encouraged him to kick the habit and focus on making Raging Bull. It was one of the best decisions he ever made, because unlike New York, New York that used expressionism to convey characters’ points of view, Raging Bull maximised his gritty style while employing complex tracking shots and a highly advanced distortion of perspectives in the boxing ring; his film-making had risen to new heights. Scorsese went back to the thematic concerns he was best at conveying: violence, redemption and insecure males, with notable examples being Mean Streets and Taxi Driver.
However, New York, New York is one of my favourite Scorsese films because it was different from his usual gritty realism and was rather a dedication to his hometown, thus making it more personal and nostalgic. I loved his representation of New York and coupled with a tragic romance successfully conveyed the price of fame and the effect it can have on your personal life. I would definitely recommend this Scorsese film and, as the title song says, “Start spreading the news…” for New York, New York is one of those classic gems that has to be unearthed.
Icons – Caine: Alfie
What makes Alfie so interesting is its convoluted and troubled protagonist and the year it was released, 1966. The 60s were a time of dramatic, cultural change and no film depicts this better than Alfie. It offered a perfect rendition of the shift from traditional, middle class culture towards a dominant, working class one. Innovations in fashion, cinema and pop music targeted the young working class. At the same time, traditional class boundaries started to break down and new consumer values began to take shape. Alfie’s attitude towards clothes and women symbolised the diminishing importance of a privileged background or education.
The swinging 60s was a time of liberation for men and women. In keeping with current trends, Leeds girl Allie moves to London to seek work and romance. She is immediately snapped up by Alfie, whose battles to be liberated himself thwart her desire for freedom and mobility. The film may suggest he is the very emblem of male hedonism but I see Alfie as much more than that; he is a sensitive soul trying to carve his own path in a very uncertain and unruly time. The conflict is evident in one scene where the once rosy cheeked and bubbly Allie is replaced with a very grainy, dull and domestically bored female. Her code of dress shifts from confidence to the stereotypical apron and hair pinned back as she attempts to cook a steak and kidney pudding for Alfie. Michael Caine is brilliant as the oblivious boyfriend unable to comprehend why Allie does not want to cook and clean for him while he has the freedom to pursue outlandish behaviour.
Alfie doesn’t realise his actions will have consequences until it is too late and this is shown within one scene where a woman he gets pregnant has a back-street abortion. This scene is very important because for a brief moment we see Alfie’s vulnerable side as he looks down on the aborted foetus. The close up of his horrified face strikes a chord and instead of breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience in a ‘cheeky chappy’ way, we see him alone and afraid. A curtain separates him from the woman so only the audience can see his reaction. It is extremely voyeuristic as we witness an important moment in his journey; this scene is very moving and shows his sentimental side.
In a bid to change his ways, Alfie attempts to settle down with a sophisticated older woman but discovers she is seeing a toy boy. This revelation further confuses him as to what his purpose in life is. The shift in societal values preys on Alfie’s vulnerable side, causing harm to those around him and ultimately himself as his bid for freedom concludes with him more restricted than before. The final scene is left open to interpretation as Alfie throws a red rose into the Thames, pondering what life is all about. The red rose is very symbolic as it symbolises passion and romance, for Alfie is a ladies’ man. But like Bret Michaels said, “every rose has its thorn” – and as the flower is carried off it’s a metaphor for how easily dreams can be washed away. “What’s it all about? You know what I mean.”
Once upon a…
The ability to tell a good story is one of the most creative processes that a person can do. You are forever generating ideas with the aim of slotting together a structure that makes sense; a single sentence that pops out of your head can have the potential of becoming one of the most well told stories that future generations can enjoy.
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