Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Steve Burkholder I am not a professional movie critic, by any means, but I like to think I have good taste in movies. This movie is touching in a way I didn't expect. The portrayal of grief thru disjointed sections, moving backward in time, with sudden forward movements through time so you are still wondering what time you land in is so true of the grieving process. Days seem good, where you feel like you've moved forward in your grieving process, and then, all of a sudden you have moved back half a dozen steps and you can't explain why. The thing I appreciated the most was how he never was able to feel two emotions at once. In the grieving process I experienced, I felt the same way. I couldn't be sad AND angry at the same time. I thought Matthew Goode was incredible in this movie. I had always respected him in everything I had seen him in, but NOTHING prepared me for the caliber of acting he showed. The range of emotions he portrayed as well as the numbness he showed at times were so spot on for what the grieving process feels like for most. A truly beautiful movie. Different, difficult if you are hurting, but decidedly worth watching.

The_late_Buddy_Ryan We didn't stick around to find out what was eating Jessica Chastain in "Eleanor Rigby," but in "Burning Man," the big reveal isn't delayed too long, and the opening barrage of short, very intense, non-sequential flashbacks—a car crash, a dreary sex scene, a rugby game colliding with a kid's birthday cake—really got our attention. These memories belong to Tom Keaton (Matthew Goode), a tightly wrapped Sydney chef who's blocked out the unbearable crucial fact of his life, so it takes awhile to figure out what's really going on. Even before that though, we were riveted. Despite its tricky, timeshifting structure, the film's perfectly paced, and after the storyline levels out, "Burning Man" gets to the heart of things in an affecting, unsentimental way. Great cast — good work by MG and lovely Bojana Novakovic (Frank Gallagher's latest paramour on "Shameless"!); too bad Rachel Griffiths was only available for a day's shooting, or so it seems. This one reminded me of another Aussie film, "Adore," which also could have come off as gimmicky and contrived but had real dramatic impact. "Burning Man" provides a fine emotional workout, though there are a couple of rowdy comic scenes as well—including an haute cuisine version of the french toast bit from "Road Trip." Great soundtrack ("ethereal singing," the CC calls it) by Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance fame.

gurubesar Like a normal British movies, the story is not very clear. The story is jumping between reality and imagination or based on the memory of the chef. You really have to concentrate to understand the story line. Even then you still may not be able to follow it.The actor and actresses are not to blame. They are very convincing in playing their part, but having a good actor/actress will not help to make the story believable if you can not follow it. The grieving husband act is very good.... but you have to watch the movie until the end before you know what is he grieving about....If you are looking for something to pass your time lightly, forget this movie. This one is not something that you can enjoy without much thinking and definitely not to pass the time in blissful enjoyment.....

fionaonei At the opening of the movie I was unsure of what was happening this did lead to some confusion as to what this movie was really about, but hang in there as half way through the movie things start to get put into place and the jigsaw comes together, like the above reviewer some sex scenes were not warranted but the intimacy between both Matthew and Bojana (as husband and wife) were what brought this movie together.The sadness of what happens to the family left behind and how they struggle through grief and loss is heartbreaking, the hospital scenes which were portrayed in a dignifying and honest way are the sad reality of what really does happen to somebody who is terminally ill.This move in my view is better than my sisters keeper and shows what real Australian Talent is about I recommend it to everyone - but warning bring an open mind and plenty of tissues.