Before El Bulli closed last year, Spanish chef Ferran Adrià's temple of molecular gastronomy was more difficult to get into than an Ivy League school. More than a million people each year tried — and most failed — to score a seat at the Michelin-starred restaurant.

For the flock of foodies never so fortunate to eat at the hands of Adrià, a full-length documentary about a year in the life of his restaurant would seem to be a mouthwatering alternative. Instead, "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress" is an unappetizing disappointment for fans of food and film alike.

The bland documentary, from German director Gereon Wetzel, screened in November at the St. Louis International Film Festival and returns today for a one-week run at the Tivoli. Wetzel's crude, handheld camera shots and minimal editing flourishes make even the excitement of Adrià's Barcelona test kitchen — with its syringe-wielding cooks and clouds of liquid nitrogen fog — seem dull.

Viewers get very little insight into Adrià himself, who does no cooking whatsoever throughout the film but is often seen chatting on his cellphone.

Much of the dialogue is hard to follow because the subtitles blend into the chefs' white aprons and other kitchen surfaces. Perhaps that's why the film's most satisfying scene is one in which there is almost no talking.

For almost 10 minutes, Wetzel's cameras focus on Adrià sitting in silence at a table off the El Bulli kitchen, tasting his cooks' creations after months of testing and tweaking. The master occasionally deadpans suggestions such as, "Add more vanilla" and, "Use less Parmesan."

Watching Adrià eat, and studying his face for reactions, is the documentary's most revealing moment, yet it still doesn't give a sense of what it's like to experience El Bulli.

In an era when television programming is infused with yelling, sweating chefs, a film that explored the quiet professionalism and precision cookery of El Bulli would have been a refreshing palate-cleanser. Unfortunately, "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress," is an unfinished dish that ought to be sent back. 

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"El Bulli: Cooking in Progress"

One and a half stars (out of four) • Rating Not rated • Run time 1:48 • Content Brief language • When Friday through Feb. 9 • Where The Tivoli • Language In Spanish with English subtitles