Boiling Point (2021 Film)

''Boiling Point'' is a 2021 British drama film directed by Philip Barantini and written by Barantini and James Cummings. It stars Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Ray Panthaki, and Hannah Walters. It is a one-shot film set in a restaurant kitchen. The film premiered at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 23 August 2021, and in cinemas in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2022, met with critical acclaim. At the 75th British Academy Film Awards, the film received four nominations, including for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

A continuation TV series, with Graham, Robinson, Walters, Panthaki and several other supporting cast members reprising their roles, aired on BBC One from 1 October 2023.

Plot

Andy Jones is Head Chef of Jones & Sons, an upmarket restaurant in London. Andy is embarrassed to learn that his restaurant has been downgraded from a Food Hygiene Rating of 5 to a 3 following an audit by a food inspector, mostly due to insufficient administration and subpar sanitation at several work stations: new cold chef Camille washed her hands in the food preparation sink; while demi-chef Tony was not wearing gloves shucking oysters, thus risking cross-contamination.

After the inspector leaves, Andy reprimands the kitchen staff for their lack of thoroughness, albeit backtracks upon learning the turbot he prepared earlier was discarded by the inspector for being unlabelled. Front of house manager Beth calls a meeting to discuss the evening's service being overbooked and warns short-fused saucier Freeman about his loud swearing. She then mentions they have a marriage proposal at one table; and also, a booking for celebrity chef Alastair Skye (with whom Andy previously worked) plus his guest, Sara Southworth—a known food critic. Andy is frustrated that Beth didn't forewarn him in time to prepare.

During dinner service, conflict begins to brew in the kitchen and dining room. Beth annoys the kitchen staff with micromanagement; the intended proposal girlfriend Mary's nut allergy was not entered into the system beforehand, irritating sous-chef Carly; Andrea, a black waitress, is treated with hostility by an aggressive racist guest, in contrast to her white colleague, Robyn; young pastry chef Jamie is revealed to be self-harming, but is comforted by mentor Emily; Sophia, a pregnant kitchen porter, spars with lazy, disrespectful co-worker Jake; the French Camille struggles with Andy's Scouser and other British regional accents; and Tony feels out of his element at an atypical station.

Tension is further exacerbated when Beth demands the already-stressed chef Carly go off-menu by preparing steak and chips to appease a group of "influencer" guests. When a lamb dish is returned for being supposedly undercooked, Carly berates Beth. She blames Beth for neither properly instructing her staff nor entering guests' food allergies into the system beforehand. She scolds her for failing the restaurant with her insufficiency, and that no staff member likes her. Carly is also outraged to learn indirectly that she will not be getting a wage increase. Beth retreats to the toilets in tears, admitting to her father, the owner, on the phone that she feels inadequate.

Andy serves Alastair's table, where Alastair reveals that Andy owes him £200,000 and wants the payment in full to cover his private losses. Andy explains that he cannot reimburse him. Alastair offers to work together with Andy again and proposes that he should get a 70% share of the restaurant, leaving Andy and his other investors with just the remaining 30% to share between them. Meanwhile, gay waiter Dean charms a group of ladies, one of whom inappropriately spanks him. Bartender Billy flirts with Robyn and they make plans to go to the club where Dean is DJing.

Mary suffers a severe allergic reaction, which Camille had inadvertently caused. Taking advantage of the situation, Alastair insists to Andy that Carly be the scapegoat, or else the restaurant—as well as their potential partnership—will fail. After Mary is picked up by an ambulance, the kitchen staff and Beth meet at the back of kitchen to determine the cause. They conclude that it was Andy's fault the food was contaminated: Earlier, he had unwittingly instructed Camille to use a bottle, containing walnut oil, as a substitute garnish. This culminates in Freeman chastising Beth, then lambasting Andy for his incessant tardiness, mistakes, and alcoholism. A fight nearly erupts between Andy and Freeman, which Carly prevents.

The staff return to work as Carly attempts to quell Andy, until he reveals that Alastair insisted he lay the blame on her. Carly subsequently reaches her breaking point and declares she will seek another job. Andy goes to his office, where he drinks vodka and snorts cocaine. He calls his ex-wife and asks her to tell his son he loves him, and that he will go to rehab. After ending the call, Andy disposes the drugs and liquor and starts to return to the kitchen before collapsing. The staff's voices are heard calling his name frantically.

Cast

Production

''Boiling Point'' was directed by Philip Barantini and written by Barantini and James Cummings. It is an expansion of a 2019 short film of the same name, also directed by Barantini and starring Graham, which was nominated for British Independent Film Award.

''Boiling Point'' is a drama film, filmed in one take by cinematographer Matthew Lewis. It was shot in a real restaurant called Jones & Sons in Dalston, London, with the character of Andy Jones was named after Barantini's friend who owns the restaurant.

It was originally planned to record eight takes of the film, but it was only possible to film half of these before a COVID-19 lockdown led to the end of the shoot.

The film wrapped in March 2020.

Release

The film premiered at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 23 August 2021, and in the UK at the London Film Festival on 10–11 October 2021.

It was released in cinemas in the UK on 7 January 2022.

The film was released on free-to-air streaming channels Channel 4 in the UK and SBS on Demand in Australia in September 2023.

Reception

Box office

In the United Kingdom, the film earned $107,525 from 53 cinemas in its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $1,142,493 worldwide.

Critical response

The film received critical acclaim, receiving many positive reviews in the British and European press after the festival screenings.

After the Karlovy screening, Peter Bradshaw wrote "There's lots of drive here and the pace doesn't flag: it actually becomes most interesting when there isn't anything obviously dramatic happening..." and praised Graham's acting in particular, saying "He has presence, potency and force". He did have some reservations, commenting on "a fair few stagey arguments", and gave the film 3 out of 5 in ''The Guardian''. Mark Kermode, writing in ''The Observer'' after the film's cinematic release, gave the film four stars, calling it "a nerve-jangling night in hell's kitchen".

Glenn Kenny of ''The New York Times'' noted in regard to the film's one-shot nature that, "when he cameratrails a restaurant worker taking out the rubbish, the viewer knows they're not being removed from the central action just to observe labour — there's a plot point to be ticked".

Awards

TV series

A continuation TV series, also titled ''Boiling Point'',
began airing on BBC One in October 2023, with Graham, Robinson, and Walters reprising their roles. Barantini directed the first two episodes, with James Cummings returning as writer.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title

2021 films
2021 drama films
2021 thriller films
2020s British films
2020s English-language films
British drama films
British thriller films
Cooking films
One-shot films
English-language drama films
English-language thriller films
Features based on short films
Films about alcoholism
Films about chefs
Films about drugs
Films about food and drink
Films about harassment
Films adapted into television shows
Films set in restaurants