Boiling Point

This British drama, set in the kitchen of one of London’s hottest restaurants on the busiest night of the year, is one of those all-in-one shot movies. Apparently, this one was actually done in a single take - which is rare these days when it’s not all that difficult to make invisible cuts. I hate gimmick movies however, the all-in-oner contrivance frequently works for me. Movies like the 2015 German crime thriller Victoria or the 2019 Israeli short film White Eye have a palpable edge to them when you know that everything on screen unfolded in real-time. (I’ll confess that I kind of like a lot of the fake single-shot movies too -Rope, Silent House, Birdman). Boiling Point is an excellent example of a director and cast using this conceit to ratchet up the tension of the various situations that unfold. With all the action contained to the long, narrow strip of the restaurant, the kitchen, the entrance area, and the alley in the back, the film conveys the constant running back and forth across the same few hundred yards that practically all restaurant workers experience on a nightly basis. Stephen Graham, playing the head chef, leads a terrific ensemble who all bounce and push and crackle against each other. Vinette Robinson, as his harried partner in the kitchen, is also superb.