Bradley Cooper

BURNT: Undercooked

The fast-paced life of the food industry is a modern miracle that is rarely appreciated. Any waiter or cook will tell you that no matter the level of industry, be it a McDonald’s or a steakhouse, creating food quickly and to customer satisfaction is a daunting task. Burnt attempts to take this one step further by exploring the mind of someone who loves the fast-paced nature of the business.

AMERICAN SNIPER: A Difficult Portrait

When the Oscar nominations rolled in on Thursday, perhaps the biggest surprise – other than the snubs for Selma – were the six nods including Best Picture and Best Actor for American Sniper, a movie which few expected to be in the running after getting no attention from the Golden Globes or BAFTAs. There was an even bigger surprise a few days later, when it was announced that the film drew in a stunning $89 million in its opening weekend, which is more than most of last year’s summer blockbusters. The Iraq War drama snuck up on the awards race out of nowhere, and shattered January box office records beyond all expectation.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES Is Confusing and Contrived

The Place Beyond the Pines tries to be an interesting movie, but above all is just very confusing. We start off the story with Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), motor stunt rider. He finds out he got a baby with a woman, Romina, in one of the towns he visited during his circus travels.