Boiling Point (2021)
March 30, 2022 9:12 PM - Subscribe

Enter the relentless pressure of a restaurant kitchen as a head chef wrangles his team on the busiest day of the year.

Directed by Philip Barantini, a feature length film, filmed in one shot. It goes behind-the-scenes at a high class restaurant, telling the stories of the different people working there though the events of a single evening.
posted by Zumbador (7 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Watched this last night. A remarkable movie. Brutal and gentle. Relentless but with such compassion for the characters.
The potentially gimmicky nature of the one shot aspect did not overshadow the story telling at all. It made sense, creating a sense of immediacy and immersion.
There were scenes that will stay with me for a very long time, like the moment the (I think?) pastry cheff tries to roll up her assistant's sleeve.
And the constant thread of racism against the young black waiter, both by her colleagues and the restaurant patrons.
This is an upsetting film and I would not be surprised if many people find it traumatic so please take care if you are not in a place where you are ready to see very realistic depictions of emotional abuse, harassment, racism and substance abuse.
Still, as someone who is usually not able to to watch upsetting films, I thought this was a powerful and important depiction of a very human story, told with respect.
posted by Zumbador at 9:24 PM on March 30, 2022 [2 favorites]


I liked this. While watching it, I actually thought it would make a really good 1 hour episode TV series. The characterisation of all the staff felt very natural and unforced, and was a rare film where I wanted to know more about what happened to people.

The one bit that was a bit obviously clunky was Chekov's food allergy. I actually decided partway through that they weren't going to go the super obvious route, and instead it was a piece of veritas. But then the attempt to drive things to a narrative head meant that the super obvious thing did happen. Actually, on a plot point, I guess I can come up with some reason why Skye seems to be both keen to undermine the restaurant with the critic but also be financially reliant on the restaurant being a success, but it felt a slightly clunky transition.

(Also, as someone who used to work in a much less posh restaurant, I was somewhat taken out of it by some of the service. Don't carry a bowl to a table with your thumb halfway in it! Don't lean all the way across the table and another customer to put a plate down! Don't leave a £200 bottle of white wine on the table with no ice bucket! This may or may not be the case for anybody who has not waited tables)

(Although talking about super obvious things, I did want there to be some comeuppance for Table 7)
posted by Hartster at 3:01 AM on April 6, 2022


I don't know anything about serving tables, but I noticed some of those things too. Especially leaning over customers. I wondered if that indicated a lack of experience and training in the wait staff ?

Agree about the Chekov's food allergy. I guess it works as a crises point but it was clearly going to happen.

I thought the whole thing of Skye bringing a critic was as a sort of potential blackmail or leverage? But I could also believe that he's just such a loose cannon that he doesn't think his own actions through and would cut off his nose to spite his face.
posted by Zumbador at 3:07 AM on April 6, 2022 [1 favorite]


First of all: Fuck table 7! Something bad should happen to the bald guy there.

Second of all: I missed the point of the sleeve scene Zumbaror mentions above. What did she see that was such bad news? I couldn't see anything.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:23 PM on April 17, 2022


Paul Slade, the pastry chef's assistant had his sleeve rolled down to cover the fact that he's been cutting himself. As in compulsive self harm.
They don't show it, and it's not spelled out, but both their reactions shows this.
posted by Zumbador at 11:31 PM on April 23, 2022 [1 favorite]


This movie took seven days off my life. Realistic to the point of searing for the in kitchen stuff. A lot of the table service was incorrect, but I can hand wave that as them wanting to get in and out of those scenes and back to the kitchen quickly.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:42 PM on May 21, 2022 [1 favorite]


I liked how every single aspect of Andy's undoing was his own fault. Bad health inspection? He wasn't keeping records. New line cook who makes mistakes? Started only a week ago. There was a throwaway line about how people don't want to work with him anymore. I.e., the reason someone inexperienced is in a critical position is because of him. Out of steak? He didn't do the orders. Out of salad dressing? He didn't do the prep. Owes Alastair money? He's on a perpetual drug/booze binge since his separation. Lousy dishwasher? He's too disorganized to manage him, let alone fire and replace him. And on and on. It's literally all his fault, every little bit. Every single bad thing that happens to him on this night is either the direct result of his personal mistakes or the direct result of one of those direct results.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:33 AM on May 22, 2022 [1 favorite]


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