40
It's a sluggish portrait that neither captures nor replicates the dazzle, pacing and polish of an El Bulli meal. Check, please.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
30
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
Anyone looking for the lowdown on haute cuisine will be sorely disappointed: devoid of emotion, context or narrative, the baffling avant-garde techniques and extreme politesse of the lab become oppressively dull.
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Jennie Punter
El Bulli barely registers a pulse stronger than a book's. There is no narration, there are no interviews and forget about any apron-ripping drama, as presented nightly on the Food Network.
63
Slant Magazine by Jesse Cataldo
A unique restaurant like El Bulli probably deserves a more creative documentary than El Bulli: Cooking in Progress, a static portrait that comes off as less than inspired by its unusual subject.
60
Boxoffice Magazine by John P. McCarthy
For all the innovative dishes we watch being concocted, the movie needs another ingredient or two for flavor enhancement and full satisfaction.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
The film never quite pins the chef down about any of this but in his menu introduction to the staff or off-hand remarks to long-time colleagues you begin to understand the mindset. "The more bewilderment, the better," he declares. He is not joking.
91
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
El Bulli becomes a haunting celebration of the human desire to turn food into art - even if the results are consciously insane.
75
There's nothing particularly distinctive or engaging about Wetzel's fly-on-the-wall style, which feels like second-hand Frederick Wiseman. But for hardcore foodies, El Bulli offers a clear, unvarnished look at the master at work.