MacCarmel Well, blow me down. As much as I love cooking, eating, and food movies I could not get all the way through this unexpectedly boring documentary. The filmmakers took an exciting subject, a masterful chef and artist and a completely unique restaurant and turned it all into a slog and a bore. This is cinema verite at it's worst. A film that lacks sufficient explanation, interest and visual excitement. There is so much more involved to making a good documentary than turning the camera on and leaving the room. The film falls short on it's appeal to film lovers, anyone who's good in the kitchen, and scientists as well.

bobhoveyga Ferran Adria and his world-renowned restaurant in Portugal are portrayed in this verite documentary that is nicely styled but a bit distant and markedly short on substance. The camera follows Adria and his staff for a year as they cloister themselves to develop the year's new menu, then open the restaurant to an anxiously waiting public (that we never get to see, the camera stays in the kitchen). We sort of fend for ourselves here, absorbing what we can... there is no real effort to explain the philosophy or method of what Adria does, and Adria himself comes off as distant and passionless (which, if other sources are to be believed, is a very misleading portrayal of the man). The film is atmospheric and the pace is very relaxed in spite of the sometimes frantic rush in the "kitchen laboratory" where all these dishes come to life. But it's that very life and energy of this unique food that is missing in the film ... the tone is moody, somber, and monochromatic, and in fact the still photos of the 30 dishes that play just before the end credits are probably more compelling and inspiring than the film itself. Anthony Bourdain did at least two shows on Adria that were much more interesting than this, I'd recommend seeking them out instead.

tendobear As an aspiring foodie myself, I found this documentary to be inspirational and thought-provoking; the sheer creativity and thought processes that goes into creating a dish is mind-blowing. However,there are flaws, I couldn't help feeling disengaged and a certain disconnect from the whole thing; while the documentary did a great job of capturing every colourful and beautiful moment, but documenting every moment doesn't make a great story. It felt very systematic and machine-like and didn't seem like there was any attempt to tell a decent story. What drives Ferran Adria? Who inspires him? How did his underlings feel about working for him? None of these human facets were touched upon so the documentary alienates the audience because it doesn't engage on an emotional level. The people you see there in the film chopping, slicing, infusing, cooking seem so far away that they might as well be on a different planet. Also, Adria comes across as a egotistical and arrogant prick who doesn't seem to actually enjoy food but sees cooking as merely a means to an end. Although he spouts deep descriptive phrases, they don't actually mean anything because he's so cold, stoic and passionless. He criticises everything and focuses only on the negatives, not once does he say anything positive and encouraging to the people who develop his dishes 24/7. Speaking of which, I'm more interested in the story of Adria's head chef Oriol Castro, he actually has passion for what he does and he seems like a great leader.

film_ophile The strength of "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress" was that it gave you a very good idea of what it would be like to work there. There was extended footage of the restaurant in operation, but more time was spent observing the creative process of Adria's team as they spent 6 months in their Barcelona laboratory, experimenting with food stuffs and techniques as they developed the menu of new creations for El Bulli's next season. The significant weakness of the film was that the director failed to take advantage of this unique opportunity to explain Adria's philosophy and genius. While you came away with an understanding of some of that genius, you came away with way too much time spent watching Adria as he tasted and made notes on the many experiments. But still, for the majority of us who never ate at El Bulli, it was a great opportunity to experience the place and its food preparation and presentation, at least visually, from ringside seats!