If you’re anything like me, you saw the trailer for Burnt and thought, “Why did they remake that Chef movie with Bradley Cooper?”

I saw Burnt last night, so I can tell you that we weren’t that far from the truth. Both films have the same Star-Chef-Loses-It-All-And-Seeks-Redemption premise, though I honestly didn’t like Chef as much as everyone else did. Sorry, but it’s annoying how Favreau ALWAYS casts the most gorgeous leading ladies as his wife or girlfriend. He bedded both Scarlett Johansson AND Sofia Vergara in Chef. I mean, come on! Also, other than the incredible Pasta Aglio e Olio he seduced Johansson’s character with, Chef was surprising devoid of actual FOOD.

That’s not the case for Burnt, which has countless food montages that upstage the entire movie. That’s not necessarily a BAD thing, though. The plot of Burnt is remarkably thin so it needs a good dose of wine and butterfat to weigh it down. Fortunately, it also has Bradley Cooper as the sex and drug addicted chef, Adam Jones. We rarely hear specifics about his troubled past, but we know that Jones has left a string of broken lives and shuttered restaurants in his wake. Cooper is excellent as the beautiful, blue-eyed bastard and his performance also adds some much needed weight to the film. It’s not enough to save it, though. You know exactly where this movie is going as soon as it starts (assuming you didn’t figure it out from the trailer) and that’s why I’m giving Burnt a C.

This film could be the start of an excellent date night though, IF you make dinner reservations for afterwards. Burnt is food-porn at it’s finest, so make plans to eat somewhere sublime when it’s over. I would also see this movie at a theater that serves wine, because you will want some during the pairing scenes. Burnt might not be a great movie experience, but it could be part of a great DINING experience, if you plan ahead and have some cash to burn. And if that’s the case, give me a call because I have a list of restaurants I’d LOVE to try!