El Bulli: Cooking in Progress

Editorial

This fly-on-the-wall, narration-free doco follows "the world’s best chef" Ferran Adrià, who shuts his haute-cuisine restaurant (on Spain’s Catalan coast) for six months while his team strives to elevate dining to "magical" levels. From conception to plating, creating such edible art is explored. A revelatory peek into the world of molecular gastronomy is served up, but one which only the hardiest food fan will devour without losing appetite. The incessant meticulousness on display becomes tedious, as does the prolonged duration of director Gereon Wetzel’s culinary observance. While his approach does justice to the serious business of eating, its not as dynamic or exciting as what’s on display.

Chefs have finally become movie stars, MasterChef has a lot to answer for.

Kate Phibbs