“Burnt” (Drama: 1 hour, 41 minutes)

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and Daniel Brühl

Director: John Wells

Rated: R (Profanity)

 

Movie Review: “Burnt” is seductively charming, although it is not strong in any particular area. 

The movie stars Bradley Cooper as Adam Jones, a chef. He destroyed his cooking career with alcohol, drugs and deviant behavior. After recovery, Jones returns to London to restart his career. This outing, he is determined to obtain three Michelin Stars, one of the highest ratings for a restaurant. To do so, Jones will need the best cooks, including Helene (Miller).

Cooper is good at playing edgy, intense characters on the verge of insanity. These roles are too easy for him because playing extreme characters is easy. Still, he makes the film interesting, although he overdoes it often in a lacking plot.

Miller offers the best performance. She plays anger and happiness in a subtle manner that works. Brühl, who is also good, joins her and Cooper.

They and others work well together, but this screenplay allows little time to get to know these people. They all remain distant yet interesting simultaneously. However, their interactions appear forced, unbelievable relationships.

Audiences are left with “food porn,” which is good. Characters’ skills as cooks are fascinating. Too bad, this movie does not show more of that and fewer people yelling at each other. Cooper as an angry chef is like Gordon Ramsay 2.0. Because of this, the writings of Steven Knight (“Dirty Pretty Things,” 2002) as directed by John Wells (“August: Osage County,” 2013) may just leave some people burnt.

Grade: C+ (A little undercooked, but the food is seductive.)

“Our Brand Is Crisis” (Drama/Comedy: 1 hour, 47 minutes)

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie and Joaquim de Almeida

Director: David Gordon Green

Rated: R (Profanity, sexual references and brief nudity)

 

Movie Review: Nearly 10 years ago, “Our Brand Is Crisis” (Director Rachel Boynton, 2005) debuted. It was a documentary on American political campaign marketing tactics. The film also involved the consequences of those tactics. That movie could be prerequisite for this 2015 photoplay with the same title, except the documentary is realism in a way that this political satire is not.

Jane Bodine (Bullock) is from the United States, but she travels to Bolivia to help a team get Senator Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida) elected president. Bullock’s task will not be easy, as he trails far behind the front-runners. Even more, Bodine’s chief political strategist, Pat Candy (Thornton), is running the campaign of the front-runner, Rivera (Louis Arcella).

David Gordon Green (“Pineapple Express,” 2008) directs this wayward story. It waffles between a drama and comedy. One genre distracts from the other.

The first 50 minutes play nicely, then the plot takes on a humorous, less believable side. There, the idiotic moments become adolescent. Bullock and Thornton are strong talents. They belittle their roles, making them implausible political intellectuals.

A great story exists here, and the ending is gratifying. A number of elements leading up to the conclusion are childish antics. This makes “Brand” in need of a political spin doctor.

Grade: C+ (It entertains but is a weak brand of satire.)

“Truth” (Drama: 2 hours, 5 minutes)

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Stacy Keach

Director: James Vanderbilt

Rated: R (profanity and a brief nude photo)

 

Movie Review: A good lesson in journalistic ethics is evident. The tale appears to have some great liberal intent to rewrite history. That is not the case. It may intend to show there may have been some truth in the reporting, but who would believe it now that some CBS newsroom operatives messily tainted mounds of research. 

That is the intent of this movie. It attempts to show a plausible point of view from those journalists’ perspective, mainly Mary Mapes. The performances are good, although the film tries too energetically to make its subjects appear as fallen martyrs. 

A 2004 CBS “60 Minutes” report investigated President George W. Bush’s youthful military service during his presidential reelection campaign. 

After revelations the story has discrepancies, CBS must prove the naysayers wrong. When evidence is not confirmable, several people lose their jobs, including producer Mary Mapes (Blanchett); Dan Rather (Redford) resigns as “CBS Evening News” anchor.

While the recounting of the story is iffy, the performances are exceptionally fine. The ensemble delivers roles superbly. Blanchett is radiantly engaging. Redford is exceptional. They and others provide plenty. This propels “Truth” when one can see an agenda. Producers wanted to portray the CBS crew as perhaps victims of a system more powerful than media.

Simultaneously, the feature shows how inept the CBS crew was in authenticating their findings. The result is one can see why these people were fired. “Truth” attempts to make its characters human, facing the consequences of their actions. The journalist and researchers were doing their jobs. They failed to make their story legit, so no need exists to feel remorse for them. The plot makes them just media personnel, talking heads about politics and culture.

In a directorial debut, writer James Vanderbilt’s screenplay, based on Mary Mapes book, makes the CBS officials personable. While the cast’s nice performances make the onscreen people enjoyable, Vanderbilt also makes them robots. He keeps the players at a distance, so caring for them is not easy.

Grade: B- (“Truth” is relatively subjective, but fine performances make it fascinating.)

“Dancin’ It’s On” (Romance/Family/Musical: 1 hour, 29 minutes)

Starring: Witney Carson, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp, Matt Marr and Gary Daniels

Director: David Winters

Rated: PG (Suggestive material)

 

Movie Review: The dancing may be on, but everything is off in this romantic, coming-of-age dramatic musical. 

The movie features “Dancing with the Stars’” Witney Carson and dancer Chehon Wespi-Tschopp as Jennifer and Ken, respectively. They play a young couple who meet in Panama City Beach, Fla. They fall for each other in a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story. 

Jennifer’s father, Jerry August (Daniels), thinks Ken, a dishwasher, is not worthy of his privileged daughter. With the aid of choreographer Hal Sanders (David Winters), Jennifer and Ken find each other through their love of dance. 

The cast is attractive and young. They can dance. Their acting leaves much to desire.

The actors perform their lines in a method that matches the uninspiring and loud background music that often drowns out the voices. The romance’s construction is haphazard, so the story is not solid and messy.

The cast appears a likable group, but David Winters, who is no stranger to dance, directs. He was A-Rab in the movie version “West Side Story,” 1961. While Winters and the cast dance well, their performances as actors do not compare.

Think of this feature as a “Step Up” (Director Anne Fletcher, 2006) knockoff. That is not a compliment. “Dancin’ It’s On” makes the so-so “Step Up” appear a masterpiece.

Grade: F+ (One of the biggest casts of dancers fails to deliver actors.)