The Chef

I remain amazed to the fact that all these actors could remain in character for the whole runtime of the film and still make me feel as if these people truly work in that environment. It keeps you engaged and in tension while the camera seamlessly moves across the whole restaurant without taking you out of the story for one second.

On a stylish level, this is an absolute stunning experience. To be presented in tracking shot (unbroken and without tricks) sends adrenaline rushes to the brain and it helps to get the right, nerve-wracking tone with the performances.

About the storyline, it has little cracks and not everything is perfect. But the pacing and the energy makes up for all the possibles shortcomings.

All in, a thrilling and compelling experience that demands to be watched even if it is not for everyone.

'Boiling Point', the second film by English director Philip Barantini will be, I think, one of the sensations of the cinematographic year 2021. It has been presented so far in only a few festivals and will meet with the broader public in cinema halls starting in October. There are in this film, bold in form and sensitive in content, the premises of a love story with the audiences.

'Boiling Point' is filmed in one shot take, i.e in a single long frame. This is not the first film to use this technique that requires intense training and formidable logistics. My experiences with movies like this are mixed. The film considered by many to be a masterpiece of the genre, Aleksandr Sokurov's 'Russian Ark' tired and annoyed me (I apologize to the fans of the director or the film for my blunt opinion). Even '1917' (which cheated a little with the technical process) did not excite me, I did not find the connection between story and technique except at the level of gimmick. On the other side, I was enthusiastic about 'Victoria' by the German director Sebastian Schipper, the description of a tumultuous Berlin night lived by a young Spanish immigrant. I gave it a rare 10/10 rating on IMDB. To a large extent, 'Boiling Point' comes close to this level, and it has helped me understand when one shot take filming works well for me. Life itself, as we live it, is a single take film or, if you will, a series with single-take episodes and sleep breaks. Realistic dramas that happen in real time and in one place or in places connected by the movements of the characters fit the formula perfectly. This is exactly the case with 'Boling Point', which takes place in the kitchen and dining room of a high-end restaurant. After watching for a few minutes the movements of the camera (handled by Matthew Lewis) the story and the characters absorbed me and I forgot (for a while at least) the technical aspects. This is the best sign of success.

Before becoming a director, Philip Barantini was an actor and ... a chef. His previous two professions helped him considerably and contributed to the quality of the film. The director knows perfectly the secrets of cuisine, the organisation of the kitchen and of the services in a good restaurant, and especially the people who work in these institutions at the top of the culinary industry and art. Understanding the environment and knowing the actors helped him select an excellent team, made up of mostly experienced actors, many with dozens of movies in their filmographies, who did not refuse to play supporting roles, some with short screen time, but all significant. Of course, Stephen Graham stands out in the role of Andy, the talented chef who faces during the 90 minutes of the film and of the events on the screen the tough problems in the restaurant and in his personal life. I have been following the evolution of Stephen Graham for some time and in my opinion he has now become one of the best actors in British cinema.

I hope that 'Boiling Point' will enjoy a good promotion. I believe that those who see it will enjoy an original cinematic work, which adds a new dimension to the restaurants and chefs films genre. It may also be that the customer experience and appreciation of the staff when they dine next time at such a top restaurant will be different as well.

Breathtakingly shot in a single take and set entirely within a restaurant, Boiling Point captures the stresses and strains of working in this environment. Stephen Graham leads a brilliant ensemble cast all improvising a skeleton script. Who would have thought a seemingly normal night in a restaurant could provide such drama and tension. A must see 8.5 out of ten. A Q&A with some of the cast, the director and the brilliant director of photography was a nice bonus. They were meant to shoot it 8 times and choose the best of the 8. However, they were filming in March 2020 and they were shut down after the four takes for obvious reasons. A brilliant achievement.

This is a compelling single shot drama set on a busy night in a high-end restaurant. The "oner" never feels like a gimmick here - especially as it was done for real and not stitched together (according to IMDB trivia the filmmakers used take 3 of 4) - making the continuous shot an immersive experience. Although the plot is relatively low-key, the performances are fantastic and real, led by the always watchable Stephen Graham. This is a great slice of life, funny and sad, and if nothing else a nice reminder: hell might be other people, but there's none worse than a customer acting like a jerk.