Let's get the negative out of the way first. I can see why some people might really dislike Boiling Point. I can see why they might get bored by it, and view it as a film in which "nothing happens". If you're after some standard entertainment then this may not be your first choice. I don't think this review will change your mind on it. Having said that, I LOVED this film. Technically impressive, full of actors doing flawless work, Boiling Point will also resonate strongly with anyone who has ever worked in a busy restaurant/service environment.
Stephen Graham plays Andy Jones, the head chef in a restaurant that is about to have its busiest night of the year. That would be tough going at the best of times, but Andy isn't having the best of times. He has recently separated from his partner, his mind isn't where it should be, and the only reason the restaurant has been doing as well as it has for the past few weeks is down to his second-in-command, Carly (Vinette Robinson). The front of house manager, Beth (Alice Feetham), doesn't really know enough to do her job properly, tensions soon start to rise in the kitchen, especially as Freeman (Ray Panthaki) is ready to call Andy out on his conduct, and various customers provide various problems, from general rudeness to a nut allergy. To make matters worse, a celebrity chef Andy used to work for, Alastair Skye (Jason Flemyng), is in to dine. And he's brought along a famous food critic, Sara Southworth (Lourdes Faberes).
Expanding a 2019 short, that version clocked in at about 22 minutes, Boiling Point is notable for being shot in one take, with a good chunk of the dialogue improvised around certain plot points that had to be hit at certain times. It's not the easiest way to approach a movie, but director Philip Barantini, who also co-wrote the script with James Cummings, helps himself immensely by using some of the best actors he could have hired. Say what you like about the film itself, if you can point to one weak performance here then I'll buy a hat, wear it for a week, and then eat it. The camerawork here is smooth enough to avoid any eye pain, but also constantly moving and taking viewers right into the heart of every important interaction that shows how the evening is going for various people.
Graham, already praised for years now as one of the best British actors of his generation, shows once again that he's one of the best British actors of his generation. He IS the head chef here, even if he's also ready to fall apart. The big surprise here is that everyone around him also feels as if they have genuinely just been caught on camera getting through a busy restaurant shift. Robinson conveys concern, support, strength, and anger in a perfect mix for the character she plays, Panthaki is spot on as the reliable chef who can easily keep doing his part to keep things running smoothly, but also isn't close enough to the head chef to overlook a series of frustrating errors. Feetham, as unlikable as her character is for most of the movie, is also VERY good in her role, the manager/hostess who will frustratingly side with the customer on every issue, and who likes to make every problem one that is caused by the kitchen, rather than maybe a front of house error. And then we have Flemyng, being a brilliantly smiling "snake in the grass" to our main character. It feels unfair to not mention everyone - Hannah Walters, Taz Skylar, Malachi Kirby, Izuka Hoyle, Lauryn Ajufo, Daniel Larkai, Áine Rose Daly, Gary Lamont, the aforementioned Faberes - so that list of names will have to suffice as acknowledgement for their consistently superb work.
What really sets this apart though, aside from the performances, is the recognition in almost every main moment. The arguments between the chefs and the front of house staff/manager, the bar staff always seeming to have the most fun, the table that can be perfectly pleasant to one waitress and utter horrors to another (for a variety of reasons, although the one here makes the head of the table particularly repugnant), the biggest douchebags who want to order off-menu, and the biggest of the biggest douchebags ordering his steak very well done, the list goes on and on. Seeing these things onscreen is like seeing a movie set in a busy bar that has someone ordering a busy round and asking for their pint of Guinness last (yes, my fellow bartenders know what I mean, those people are loathed).
Boiling Point isn't just an enjoyable, and sometimes tense, drama. It's a highly accurate snapshot of restaurant life. I wish, but highly doubt, that everyone would watch this, and remember it the next time they are dining out. You still deserve the service and quality of food that you pay for, but it helps to remember that you are interacting with real human beings, all doing their job for a variety of reasons, and all often trying their best under difficult circumstances.
9/10
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