Bradley Cooper sizzles as manic head chef Adam Jones in this undercooked restaurant drama about a former drug addict in search of career redemption in the big city.

Barreling his way through scene after scene of sweary, shouty kitchen violence, the three-time Oscar nominee excels where the screenplay, script (and everything else) doesn’t.

Instead of complex characterisation, we get hokey romance. Rather than a flawed-but-lovable hero, we’re given an obnoxious plonker of a protagonist without one single redeeming quality. Want well-written, engaging dialogue? Keep looking. Director John Wells’ background is in TV (ER, The West Wing), and his lack of experience seriously shows.

It’s a real shame that a film with seemingly so many of the right ingredients  – the all star cast includes Sienna Miller, Emma Thompson and Daniel Brühl – ends up being such a dog’s dinner. Bon appétit.

RATING: 2/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Bruhl

DIRECTOR: John Wells

WRITERS: Steven Knight, Michael Kalesniko

SYNOPSIS: Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) is a Chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.