Burnt

Burnt is a movie directed by John Wells, starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and Daniel Bruhl. The film tells the story of a chef who is on a quest to get his third Michelin star, while also getting his act together. There is not much more to say about it, as it is filled with tropes and chicles of the genre, the plot is predictable, unoriginal and the dialogue is boring. I find it underwhelming and a waste of a good cast.

The characters are of no good either, they are weak, uninteresting there is not a moment in the movie when you care about their fate. They are flat and one dimensional. Also, talk about the lack of strong female characters in the film industry...

The only thing that remotely saves the movie is its production value. The movie is glossy, it looks good, is fast paced and it probably catches the attention of average audience with a little bit of help from the household names in the cast. Also, Bradley Cooper's performance is good, but there is not much you can do with a spineless plot.

All in all, the movie is neither remarkable nor memorable, it spells everything out for the audience, so go invest 100 minutes in something better.

The Danish girl

The Danish girl is a movie directed by Tom Hooper (King's speech, Les miserbles), starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander in a pseudo biopic based on the fictional novel with the same name about one  of the first men known who has undergone surgery for sex reassignment.

I am not a big fan of period pieces, unless they are based in the 50' or 60', because the ones before that I find mostly boring, with rigid dialogue and unappealing costumes. So, I am not going to talk a lot about the movie per se, as I don't think it wouldn't be so good had it not been for the interesting theme and amazing performances from the leading actors. 

The main focus goes on Eddie Redmayne's heartbreaking performance who gives the character elegance and sincerity, proving yet again he is a good actor who lets his work speak for himself. However, I think Alicia Vikander deserves the spotlight for this picture. Rarely have I seen such a strong female character in a movie, with a story arc even more interesting than that of Lili's character and transformation. She slowly realizes her marriage falls apart and there is no going back, yet she is supporting of her husband in his search to become who he actually is, no questions asked.

I liked the theme of the movie and I believe the producers found a good moment to release it, as Caitlyn Jenner opened the conversation on this subject. It really is thought provoking in regards to gender roles, but I really enjoyed the way Edde Redmayne put it in an interview, saying that things are not black or white, male or female, but that there is a spectrum and people can be anywhere on it, which I find to be well said.

I suggest you watch this movie, not for the way it was made, as there is not much to say about that,  it's a regular film, but for the thought provoking theme and stellar performances.