Review of Big Night (1996) by Michael S — 09 Jan 2009

Note: Forgive the hyperbole.

A film of complete and utter perfection. It is able to capture that great, magical, communal moment of sharing a meal with friends and family, where wine has made the lights glisten around you and the conversations slip in and out of one another. And this film's meal is not just any meal, it is a meal to end all meals, a meal which beomes an endurance test for the senses. One can almost taste the perfect flavors that come out of the kitchen of the small, struggling restaurant where the film takes place. Even though the script is witty, enlightening and rich with lovable characters and detail, even though the cast is like a string of pearls, what sticks out the most for this particualr cinephile is the food.