Anyone can encounter the threat of combustion if submerged in fiery pressure for an extended period - something made all the more tragic when the situation is of their own making and could so easily be escaped with a hard look in the mirror.
Sometimes, as they say, you are your own worst enemy.
In Bigi Jackson's debut short movie, Rochelles, we're introduced to Stanton (Jessie Howland), a chef whose life has become a pressure cooker ticking away to breaking point.
On a mission to climb the ladder of success, obsessed with crafting "the dish" and isolating himself from those around him, save for his friend and voice of reason, Gary (Brandon Bales), a fellow chef at the restaurant where they work, Stanton has fallen victim to the classic recipe for disaster: chasing perfection.
Jackson explores with deliciously rich layers whether anybody can achieve perfection, no matter how skilled or deserving, but also whether perfection is worth striving for, especially if there is a steep price to pay in the pursuit.
In the story, Stanton, bordering on paranoia and at war with external forces that threaten to halt progress that he calls "the enemy", commits himself to crafting the perfect art in the form of food as he and Gary are pitted against each other to win the coveted position at Rochelles restaurant.
The delicacies the chefs whip up and discuss are used as metaphors by Jackson, who wrote the script, to critique art in all its forms and the public consumption of it.
The philosophy the film argues is that art should never be taken seriously to the point it consumes the artist, as at the end of the day, those who will feast on it - in this case with it being food - will ultimately be ready for the next course without a second's thought for what they've just gorged on, never caring enough to consider that maybe the creator's blood, sweat and tears were amongst the ingredients.
There's also, at least in my interpretation, a dig at the rise of poor-quality entertainment due to the fast-food-like convenience offered by online streaming. This is a testament to the cleverly handcrafted tapestry Jackson weaves into the tapestry, welcomingly inviting the viewer to rely purely on their mind's taste buds and ponder what's really being ingested.
A bubbling, uncomfortable tension permeates throughout the 40-minute runtime, and it never lets up until the cooker that both chefs are standing atop explodes, which I shan't spoil with details.
By the end, the film establishes that should one lose, they can still gain something, and should the competitor emerge victorious and be lifted upon a pedestal they've earned, it doesn't mean they belong there.
At its core, Rochelles is a thematically deep cautionary tale, depicting rifts forming and wounds opening, psychologically and physically, all in the pursuit of greatness that is, like art, ultimately subjective. It's a profound exploration of the sacrifices for greatness. It delves into the psychological toll and personal sacrifices on the quest for perfection and questions the value of societal accolades versus personal fulfilment, critiquing the societal obsession with success and encouraging viewers to reflect on what truly matters in life.
It's clear through camera techniques and the script Jackson may be following up on his legendary father's advice: study the greats and become greater. If this is only the starter course of his career, then I can't wait to see what he prepares next.
