Review of Big Night (1996) by Andy F — 18 Apr 2005

Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci are two of America's most brilliant and underrated actors, and now after seeing their film[i] Big Night [/i]I have found that they are also two amazingly gifted writer/directors. This is one of the most enjoyable, smart, funny, endearing and insightful films I have ever seen.

Released in 1996, the movie follows two Italian brothers who move to America in the 1950's to open an authentic Italian cuisine restauran called Paradise. Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub play the two brothers named Secondo and Primo to utter perfection in a film filled with countless performances to rave about. Secondo is the financial handler of the business while Primo is responsible for the greatest Italian food on earth. The film opens throwing us right into the middle of a predicament for them as they are about to cave in from no business. They have until the end of the month to pay what needs to be paid or they will be forced to close and move to Rome and work under their Uncle at his restaurant. Secondo is forced to ask a canniving and rich owner of a place called Red Sauce for a loan, but he refuses. Ian Holm plays this man in one of his most underrated performances. It is insane how good he is at developing a flawless Italian accent. Although he won't lend him the money he does offer Secondo a big chance - to prepare a dinner party for a large amount of people, including a famous musician named Louis Primo who he ensures will attend.

So begins the preparation for the [i]Big Night[/i] and a large cast of characters begin to emerge, each of them as colorful and interesting as the next. Minnie Driver and Isabella Rosselini are wonderful as the two women in Secondo's life, Allison Janney is rightly cast as a flower shop owner who takes a liking to Primo. Marc Anthony is a quiet waiter who observes everything in the shadows at Paradise, and even Campbell Scott provides a hilarious performance as a Cadillac dealer with a big ego and a wrist injury he knows nothing about. As the big event unfolds Tucci and Scott direct with an energy that is constantly demanding the audience's attention. The preparation and presentation of the food is so elaborate and glorious that it makes you wish you were at the table waiting to be served. You can almost taste everything right off the screen. You simply cannot stop watching, and after it's over you just might want to see it again shortly after. A big part why this film was lifted from greatness to masterpiece is the final poetic sequence that is without dialogue but speaks so loudly in emotion. It's an amazing movie that should be considered a classic as years and decades pass.