Review of Big Night (1996) by Matthew S — 23 Jan 2008

As close to a perfect movie as you are likely to find. Acting, writing, cinematography, story, premise and evocation of milieu are bang-on. I don't know what it is about food, but it works so well on the screen: "Tampopo", "Eat Drink Man Woman", "Babette's Feast", "Like Water for Chocolate"--and this, the best of the lot: the food is front and centre; everything revolves around cuisine: culture, society, psychology.

An entire era is pinned and wriggling: a time when surf and turf was exotic, people smoked between courses, and Italian food consisted of overboiled diner spaghetti with meatballs washed down with coffee at lunch.

Enter Tucci and Shalhoub, who vainly try to illuminate the masses in the face of a world unprepared for--egads!--fresh ingredients and seasoning. Restaurant types will recognize the accuracy of Tucci's portrayal of a working kitchen, and will also suffer along with the brothers before the inevitable ruin of a heartfelt dream.

Shalhoub couldn't be better, Rossellini is luminous, and we should not forget Ian Holm ("You fuckin' guy!") as the brothers' nemesis. Required viewing.