This week at the movies, Bradley Cooper gets burnt in a role as an egotistical chef; Sandra Bullock tries her hand at political machinations; and a bunch of teens take on zombies.
Burnt
It’s weird that many movies haven’t been set in a high-end restaurant kitchen. In a high-end restaurant there’s certainly enough drama, enough ego, and enough tension for a two-hour movie (as innumerable TV shows have already demonstrated). However, Burnt has decided to go one step further and make a cooking movie seem like an action-adventure/thriller with super-exaggerated stakes. Bradley Cooper stars as the egomaniacal chef who is in search of a third Michelin star, but is a big brat who his staff hates. Sienna Miller is his love interest/brat tamer. Emma Thompson and Uma Thurman (as a food critic) also star.
Perfect For: Folks who call themselves foodies.
What the Critics Say: Oh so bad. So very, very bad. Writes Entertainment Weekly: “Is there anything more insufferable than the badass persona of the rock-star chef?” Rolling Stone called it: “a cheerless and unappetizing plate of piffle that deserves to be smashed against a wall or at least sent back to the kitchen.”And the Seattle Times writes: “For a film about a perfectionist who had a difficult childhood seeking three Michelin stars, allow me to recommend ‘For Grace,’ the documentary about Chicago chef Curtis Duffy.”
Our Take: Grab some take out and watch an Anthony Bourdain show instead.
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
I’m a firm believer that the only good zombie movies (with very few exceptions) are comedies. Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland– these are way better than the ultra-serious versions (with the exception of 28 Days Later, which is actually terrifying). So, here we have a comedy about a group of teen scouts, all kinda dorky, who get invited to a strip club by a girl they think is a stripper, and encounter instead an empty club that’s been invaded by zombies. The stripper is a cocktail waitress and she saves their butts, and leads the way in fighting the zombies. Heavily slapstick with lots of sight gags.
Perfect For: Fans of zombie anything. And we know from the Walking Dead there are a lot of you. But because this is rated R, you’ll have to be older or with a guardian.
What the Critics Say: It’s not very witty, but perhaps that’s not the primary objective. Variety: “The Scouts save the day, but not the movie, in this witless zombie-comedy retread.” Movie Nation: “‘Superbad’ with Scouts. And zombies. Lots of laughs, just not quite enough to pay off.” Writes Screen International: “Genre fans close in age to the characters depicted onscreen should be appreciative of the enjoyably familiar mix of inspired comedy moments, smart zingers, gross-out gags and nudity...”
Our Take: It looks amusing for a zombie flick, but probably not as good as a classic like Shaun of the Dead.
Our Brand is Crisis
Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton star in a movie that’s loosely based on real events. Bullock, a political campaign manager who is on hiatus in the States due to a scandal, travels to Bolivia to wield her skills and to help a candidate, who is badly trailing, win. Sharp wit encased in a heartwarming message makes it a perfect Bullock vehicle.
Perfect For: Those who like dramedies, Sandra B, and political intrigue.
What the Critics Say: Mixed reviews. Tonally confusing, but good acting. Rolling Stone:Crisis “stumbles over a vast terrain of self-serving scoundrels (Trump trumps anything they can make up), but livewire Bullock never lets hypocrisy out of her comic kill zone.” The Hollywood Reporter: “David Gordon Green's latest unpredictable addition to his resume is offbeat and appealing on some levels but is neither as funny nor as trenchant as it might have been.” The New York Post: “Can Sandra Bullock in top form overcome longtime American audience resistance to comedies about politics and maybe even get another nomination in the process?”
Our Take: The story looks intriguing and we are fans of Sandra B.