reviewStill impressed by that long, explosive and unedited prologue from Athens (now on Netflix)? In Boiling point the entire movie is one take. Without cheating. The camera turns on and only turns off a sloppy ninety minutes later, as soon as the credits start.
Within that playing time he buzzes like a mosquito through a relatively small space, a prestigious London eatery to be precise. Through the kitchen, over the bar and past the tables full of hungry guests. Andy (excellent Stephen Graham) is the chef there. It is hectic on the Christmas Eve that we experience with him.
There’s just as much chaos in Andy’s head. Not only does he have to make a good impression at the food and commodity authorities, there is disagreement between colleagues, his former teacher comes to eat with a restaurant critic by his side, and privately things don’t exactly run smoothly either. Just to add a silly pun: we’re in a pressure cooker.
The disadvantage of a so-called one taker is that it more than once focuses attention on itself. ‘How does this work logistically? Is the camera deliberately diving into a niche here so that the rest of the cast can quickly regroup?’ The advantage: the stress level is lifted to oppressive heights. Boiling point doesn’t have much to offer substantively, but it’s definitely one of the most intense viewing experiences of the year.
Directed by: Philip Barantini. Starring: Stephen Graham, Jason Flemyng, Vinette Robinson and Ray Panthaki
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