MOVIE REVIEW: Burnt

Bradley Cooper plays Adam Jones, a chef in Paris who had a notorious reputation in the past whose erratic behavior and drug use made him lose his restaurant in the French capital. After his self imposed exile in Louisiana USA to do his "penance", Jones then attempts to make a comeback in London to earn the elusive third Michelin Star and there he meets people involved with his past as he tries to rebuild his future.

Aside from the 3 time Oscar nominee, Burnt is blessed with an outstanding cast and among the standouts are Sienna Miller reunited with Cooper after American Sniper. She has more presence in the film compared to the blockbuster and Daniel Bruhl who plays Jones rival who secretly has the hots for him. 

Unfortunately though actresses Emma Thompson is wasted in a robotic role as the therapist who guides the lead character's road to redemption and Uma Thurman in a short glorified cameo as a restaurant critic. 2015's It girl Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina and the upcoming The Danish Girl) is also in the film also in a few short minutes as the ex girlfriend.

With lots of beautiful food shots (it has the food shots feel of Instagram) and learning the basics on how Michelin gives its stars to chefs and restaurants, Burnt achieves that. My problem though is that like a good feast, there should be more servings.

MOVIE REVIEW: Crimson Peak

Just in time for Halloween, visual stylist director Guillermo Del Toro goes back to his Oscar winning Pan's Labyrinth look and feel with Crimson Peak, a gothic horror thriller that is also a glossy soap opera that's reminiscent of the twist and turns that prevalent in the telenovelas that's popular in the director's home country of Mexico.

The lead character Edith Cushing perfectly played by porcelain beauty Mia Wasikowska (Disney's Alice in Wonderland) is an American heiress living in Buffalo, New York at the start of the 20th century. Her simple ambition in life is to be a writer like Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein. She lost her mom to cholera at a young age and her father Carter (Jim Beaver) a self-made engineer only wants the best for her.

Edith also has the supernatural ability to communicate with ghosts and the one of her mom warns her "beware of Crimson Peak".

Against the wishes of her father who wanted their family friend doctor (Charlie Hunnam from TV's Sons of Anarchy) for her to settle down with, she met and got attracted to a mysterious British inventor Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and after a tragic situation marries and moves to his run down and desolate estate across the Atlantic. With his sister Lucille (the always great Jessica Chastain) always at Thomas' side, Edith will soon discover something that the ghosts had always warned and it's not what you expect.
The cast is first rate and the film's production design is vintage Del Toro. There are grotesque scenes but the visual splendor overpowers the carnage and bloodbath. Despite it's plot that mirrors the classic film The Heiress (1949), Crimson Peak is gorgeous entertainment best seen on the big screen.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Martian

Based on the bestselling debut novel of software engineer Andy Weir, The Martian is an exhilarating, exciting yet uplifting tale of human survival in a place where we haven't even conquered: the planet Mars.

When a space mission to the red planet was abruptly aborted due to a severe storm, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) was presumed dead by the crew when he was hit by debris and thrown out of sight. They left but he miraculously survived. With limited supplies left by fellow astronauts and unmanned space missions, Watney must use his ingenuity and apply his job and skills as a botanist in order to live and get back home. 

Beautifully shot by Dariusz Wolski ( the Pirates of the Caribbean movies) showcasing Mars as beautiful yet desolate place giving you the sense of being alone all the time and a lengthy yet tight screenplay by Drew Goddard (World War Z), The Martian is one of the rare films that compliments both its technical and it's acting aspects. Giving his best performance in years, Matt Damon anchors the film as Watney and the supporting cast, among them Oscar nominees Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave)  and Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) are all remarkable.

This is iconic director Ridley Scott's best film since the Oscar winning Gladiator and it's so nice for him to be back in the game and helm one of 2015's best. Well worth your time and hard earned money to see it on the big screen.