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BOILING POINT (2021)
Director: Philip Barantini Cast: Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Alice Feetham, Jason Flemyng, Ray Panthanki, Izuka Hoyle, Lourdes Faberes, Hannah Walters, Malachi Kirby, Taz Skylar, Lauryn Ajufo, Daniel Larkai, Robbie O'Neill, Áine Rose Daly, Rosa Escoda, Stephen McMillan, Thomas Coombes, Gary Lamont MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:32 Release Date: 11/19/21 (limited); 11/23/21 (digital & on-demand) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | November 18, 2021 Something is going to go wrong. We can tell it almost from the start of Boiling Point, a behind-the-scenes drama about one hectic night at a restaurant. There isn't much to this story, which simply observes all of the relationships and conflicts within the restaurant at this particular moment in time, but co-writer/director Philip Barantini, capturing everything that happens in a single take of about 90 minutes, stages all of the comings and goings with an impressive and sometimes uncomfortable degree of verisimilitude. Our central figure is Andy (Stephen Graham), the head chef at this fancy establishment, who once again arrives late for work, is having some kind of argument with his current or former wife about missing something involving his son, and spends the entire evening on the precipice of some kind of breakdown. The restaurant's health rating is dropped. The sous chef Carly (Vinette Robinson) is on the verge of quitting. Manager Beth (Alice Feetham) annoys just about everyone who works there, and just before Christmas, the restaurant is overbooked and understaffed, while the food supply in the kitchen is low. Barantini and cinematographer Matthew Lewis' camera follows all of this, swapping between characters to highlight some isolated concerns (a racist guy and his family at one table, a group of social media "influencers" wanting to order off-menu, and a dishwasher who goes out of his way not to work) and running issues. Key among the latter is the surprise appearance of celebrity chef Alistair (Jason Flemyng), who once was Andy's boss and loaned a significant amount of money—which he wants back—to the busy chef, and the star's dinner partner Sara (Lourdes Faberes), a food critic. If the story by the director and James Cummings is slim, the near-constant sense of pressure and the rising potential for all sorts of panic certainly compensate for it. The performances, especially from Graham as the beleaguered and belabored chef, are impressive—not only because each actor creates a firmly defined character, but also because of the way they balance that with the non-stop business of keeping the restaurant running. Barantini's intricate staging ensures there's almost always a bustle of activity, even in the backdrop and the edges of the frame. Boiling Point doesn't possess complex characters or any deeper significance, but it doesn't need them. The sense of realism established here carries the film. Copyright © 2021 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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(for
pervasive language and some drug use)
