Wikipedia

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.

Boiling Point
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPhilip Barantini
Written by
  • Philip Barantini
  • James Cummings
Produced by
  • Hester Ruoff
  • Bart Ruspoli
  • Stefan D'Bart (co-prod)
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Lewis
Edited byAlex Fountain
Music by
  • Aaron May
  • David Ridley
Production
companies
  • Ascendant Films
  • Burton Fox Films
  • Bromantics
Distributed byVertigo Releasing
Release dates
  • 23 August 2021 (2021-08-23) (Karlovy Vary)
  • 7 January 2022 (2022-01-07) (United Kingdom)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,142,493[1]

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

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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;[2][3] 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

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  • Stephen Graham as Andy Jones, proprietor/head chef
  • Vinette Robinson as Carly, Andy's sous-chef
  • Alice Feetham as Beth, restaurant host/manager
  • Hannah Walters as Emily, head pastry chef
  • Malachi Kirby as Tony, demi-chef
  • Izuka Hoyle as Camille, French cold chef
  • Taz Skylar as Billy, a bartender
  • Lauryn Ajufo as Andrea, a waitress
  • Ray Panthaki as Freeman, saucier/sauté chef
  • Jason Flemyng as Alastair Skye, celebrity chef
  • Lourdes Faberes as Sara Southworth, food critic
  • Áine Rose Daly as Robyn, a waitress
  • Stephen McMillan as Jamie, junior pastry chef
  • Gary Lamont as Dean, a waiter
  • Gala Botero as Sophia, kitchen porter
  • Daniel Larkai as Jake, a lazy busser
  • Thomas Coombes as Alan Lovejoy, health inspector
  • Robbie O'Neill as Frank, Mary's boyfriend
  • Rosa Escoda as Mary, patron w/ nut allergy
  • Rob Parker as Kevin
  • Katie Bellwood as Lizzie
  • Alex Heath as Ollie
  • Heather Gould as Joan
  • Jay Johnson as Michael
  • Kieran Urquhart as Tim
  • Philip Hill-Pearson as Mark
  • Hannah Traylen as Holly
  • Jordan Alexandra as Bryony
  • Diljohn Singh as Krish
  • Shereen Walker as Hannah
  • Precious Wura Alabi as Emma
  • Ayanna Coleman-Potempa as Philly
  • Kimesha Campbell as Lola
  • Gina Ruysen as Kathryn
  • George Hawkins as Sean
  • John McHale as Owen
  • Caroline Garnell as Gloria
  • Jesse Jones as Nathan
  • Hester Ruoff as Kelly
  • Dan Tymon as Archie
  • Libby Walker as a patron (uncredited)
  • Gavin Sanctis as a patron (uncredited)

Production

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Boiling Point was directed by Philip Barantini and written by Barantini and James Cummings.[4] It is an expansion of a 2019 short film of the same name, also directed by Barantini and starring Graham,[5][6] which was nominated for British Independent Film Award.[7]

Boiling Point is a drama film, filmed in one take[8] by cinematographer Matthew Lewis.[9] It was shot in a real restaurant called Jones & Sons in Dalston, London,[10] with the character of Andy Jones was named after Barantini's friend who owns the restaurant.[10]

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.[11]

The film wrapped in March 2020.[10]

Release

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The film premiered at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 23 August 2021,[12] and in the UK at the London Film Festival on 10-11 October 2021.[13] [9]

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

The film was released on free-to-air streaming channels Channel 4 in the UK[14] and SBS on Demand in Australia in September 2023.[15]

Reception

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Box office

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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.[1]

Critical response

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The film received critical acclaim, receiving many positive reviews in the British and European press after the festival screenings.[13][16][17][18][19] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 99% of 67 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Gripping from start to finish, Boiling Point uses its bold formal approach to support a thrilling tightrope of a tale."[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[21]

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.[22] 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".[23]

Glenn Kenny of The New York Times noted in regard to the film's one-shot nature that, "when [the camera] trails 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".[24]

Awards

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Accolades received by Boiling Point
Award Ceremony date Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
BAFTA Film Awards 13 March 2022 Outstanding British Film Philip Barantini, James Cummings, Hester Ruoff, Bart Ruspoli Nominated [25]
Best Actor in a Leading Role Stephen Graham Nominated
Best Casting Carolyn McLeod Nominated
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer James Cummings (writer) & Hester Ruoff (producer) Nominated
BAFTA Scotland Awards 20 November 2022 Best Actress in Film Izuka Hoyle Won [26]
British Independent Film Awards 5 December 2021 Best British Independent Film Philip Barantini, James Cummings, Hester Ruoff, Bart Ruspoli Nominated [27][28][29]
Best Director Philip Baranti Nominated
Best Actor Stephen Graham Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Vinette Robinson Won
Best Supporting Actor Ray Panthaki Nominated
Breakthrough Performance Lauryn Ajufo Nominated
Best Cinematography Matthew Lewis Won
Best Casting Carolyn McLeod Won
Breakthrough Producer Hester Ruoff Nominated
Best Production Design Aimee Meek Nominated
Best Sound James Drake, Rob Entwistle, and Kiff McManus Won
Casting Directors' Guild Awards 27 February 2023 Best Casting in an Independent Film Carolyn McLeod (casting director) • Matt Sheppard (casting assistant) Won [30]
Göteborg Film Festival 5 February 2022 Dragon Award for Best International Competition Film Philip Barantini Nominated [31]
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 28 August 2021 Crystal Globe Award — Best Feature Film (Grand Prix) Philip Barantini Nominated [32][33]
Special Jury Mention — Performance Vinette Robinson Won
London Film Critics' Circle Awards 6 February 2022 British/Irish Actor of the Year Stephen Graham (also for Venom: Let There Be Carnage) Nominated [34]
Taormina Film Fest 2 July 2022 Golden Charybdis for Best Film Philip Barantini, Hester Ruoff, Bart Ruspoli Won [35]
Silver Charybdis for Best Director Philip Barantini Won
Mask of Polyphemus for Best Actor Stephen Graham Won
Zurich Film Festival 03 October 2021 Golden Eye Award for Best International Feature Film Philip Barantini Nominated [36]

TV series

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A continuation TV series, also titled Boiling Point, began airing on BBC One in October 2023,[37] with Graham, Robinson, and Walters reprising their roles. Barantini directed the first two episodes, with James Cummings returning as writer.[38][39]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Boiling Point". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  2. ^ Mark Kermode. "Boiling Point review – Stephen Graham is on fire in nerve-jangling night in hell's kitchen". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Charlotte O'Sullivan. "Boiling Point film review: Fine dining high drama set in a London restaurant kitchen will leave you sated". Evening Standard.
  4. ^ Kermode, Mark; critic, Observer film (9 January 2022). "Boiling Point review – Stephen Graham is on fire in nerve-jangling night in hell's kitchen". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  5. ^ Boyce, Laurence (23 August 2021). "Karlovy Vary 2021: Philip Barantini talks filming 'Boiling Point' in one take". Screen Daily. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  6. ^ Aftab, Kaleem (31 August 2021). "Philip Barantini • Director of Boiling Point". Cineuropa. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b Concannon, Philip (11 October 2021). "Boiling Point captures a chef's night from hell filmed in one continuous shot". Sight and Sound. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  8. ^ Sandwell, Ian (17 March 2025). "Stephen Graham's one-take drama is a must-see after Adolescence – and it's free to watch now". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  9. ^ a b Hazlewood, Kirsty (15 December 2021). "British DP Matthew Lewis pulls-off a one-shot wonder for Philip Barantini's award-winning Boiling Point". Cinematography World. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Hui, Angela. "How 'Boiling Point' was filmed in a real London restaurant". Time Out London. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  11. ^ Sturges, Fiona (31 December 2021). "Vinette Robinson: 'The collective effort was magic – I've never felt that on a set'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  12. ^ Lodge, Guy (27 August 2021). "'Boiling Point' Review: Gordon Ramsay Has Nothing on the Kitchen Nightmares in This Heated One-Shot Drama". Variety. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  13. ^ a b Stottor, William (16 July 2024). "Boiling Point Film Review: Sizzling One Take Restaurant Drama". Loud And Clear Reviews. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2025. Published on: October 7, 2021; Last update: July 16, 2024
  14. ^ "Watch Boiling Point". Channel 4. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  15. ^ "Best of 2023: Discover the series, movies and hidden gems that everyone loved". SBS What's On. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Review: Boiling Point". Cineuropa. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  17. ^ Dolbey, Guy (19 October 2021). "LFF Review: 'Boiling Point'". Film Cred. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  18. ^ Kitchen, Hal (12 October 2021). "BFI London Film Festival: Mass and Boiling Point". Film Obsessive. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  19. ^ "LFF'21: Boiling Point film review". Cineroom. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  20. ^ "Boiling Point". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 23 February 2022.  
  21. ^ "Boiling Point". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  22. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (25 August 2021). "Boiling Point review – Stephen Graham bubbles in one-shot restaurant drama". the Guardian. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  23. ^ Kermode, Mark (9 January 2022). "Boiling Point review – Stephen Graham is on fire in nerve-jangling night in hell's kitchen". the Guardian. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  24. ^ Kenny, Glenn (23 November 2021). "Boiling Point Review: The Worst Night in the Life of a Restaurant". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  25. ^ Viner, Katharine, ed. (3 February 2022). "Baftas 2022: The full list of nominations". The Guardian. eISSN 1756-3224. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 20 April 2025. Stephen Graham in Boiling Point, nominated for best actor and outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer.
  26. ^ "Winners of the BAFTA Scotland Awards 2022 Announced". BAFTA. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  27. ^ Parfitt, Orlando (5 December 2021). Mueller, Matt (ed.). "After Love wins big at 2021 BIFAs with six awards". Screen Daily. Screen International. ISSN 0307-4617. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2025 – via WayBack Machine. Philip Barantini's single-take chef drama Boiling Point, the joint-most nominated film with 11 nods (alongside The Souvenir: Part II), finished with four awards in total: Vinette Robinson for best supporting actress; Carolyn McLeod for best casting; Matthew Lewis for best cinematography; and James Drake, Rob Entwistle and Kiff McManus for best sound.
  28. ^ "British Independent Film Awards 2021: The winners in full". British Film Institute. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  29. ^ Hazlewood, Kirsty (6 December 2021). "DP Matthew Lewis wins BIFA Best Cinematography Award for the one-shot wonder Boiling Point". Cinematography World. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  30. ^ "Winners of The CDG Casting Awards 2023". Spotlight. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  31. ^ Roxborough, Scott (11 January 2022). Moody, Nekesa Mumbi (ed.). "Dune Star Rebecca Ferguson, Luca Guadagnino to Receive Dragon Awards at Göteborg Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. OCLC 44653726. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  32. ^ Grater, Tom (29 June 2021). "Karlovy Vary Film Festival Unveils 2021 Line-Up, Including 32 Premieres & Tribute Program To Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 7 April 2025. Also screening is Boiling Point, the drama about a restaurant chef starring Stephen Graham.
  33. ^ Tafoya, Scout (31 August 2021). "KVIFF 2021: Award Winners, Highlights, and a Video Diary". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 17 April 2025. The Jury also singled out Vinette Robinson for her role in the film Boiling Point…
  34. ^ Yossman, K.J. (21 December 2021). "Female Filmmakers Shine at London Critics' Circle Film Awards With Nominations for Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Joanna Hogg". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 60626328. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  35. ^ "Taormina Film Fest 2022: Boiling Point is the best film". Vita Gazette. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  36. ^ Gray, Véronique (9 September 2021). "17th Zurich Film Festival: Strong Comeback Of Hollywood and 38 Debut Works From Around the Globe". VivaMost. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  37. ^ "Boiling Point review – TV that asks what if The Bear isn't stressful enough?". The Guardian. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  38. ^ Goldbar, Max (21 October 2022). "'Boiling Point' BBC TV Series Greenlit With Stephen Graham Reprising Role & Philip Barantini Directing". Deadline. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  39. ^ Cormack, Morgan (27 September 2023). "Boiling Point review: Stephen Graham takes a backseat in this stellar slice of TV". BBC. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
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