BIG NIGHT
A film review by Christopher Null
Copyright 1996 Christopher Null
One reality in this world is certain: nice guys finish last. And while the case can be made that Primo and Secondo aren't the nicest guys around, it's pretty clear from the beginning of BIG NIGHT that they are doomed to be taken advantage of.
This little gem, a darling of the festival circuit and cause for a huge rebirth in star, co-writer, co-producer, and co-director Stanley Tucci's career, tells the beautiful and touching story of two brothers (Tucci as Secondo, and "Wings" cab driver Tony Shalhoub as Primo) trying to make it as restaurateurs, straight off the boat from Italy.
Primo, the head chef, refuses to compromise on the tiniest detail regarding the food, while Secondo does battle on the business end. The meals they serve are second to none, but all the customers go down the street to their rival's (an Italian Ian Holm) thanks to his singing waiters. With the bank ready to foreclose, Primo and Secondo try to turn things around, and they put all they've got into one last feast in honor of jazz great Louis Prima, who may or may not actually be showing up. A big night indeed.
Intertwining the restaurant drama with the brothers' unsatisfying personal lives, Tucci and co-writer Joseph Tropiano tell a beautiful and touching story that resonates with a authenticity rarely found in today's films. Tucci, Shalhoub, and Holm are all excellent, as are Isabella Rossellini and CIRCLE OF FRIENDS's Minnie Driver as Secondo's love interests. Tucci and co-director Campbell Scott (co-star of SINGLES) also do excellent work considering their amateur status.
While the film can get a bit talky at times (beware of the scenes with subtitles), it's overall a very moving and delightful first work for these guys. Deserving special notice are the exquisite cooking/dining scenes, which do for Italian food what EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN did for Chinese. All-in-all, it's a warm, funny, and at the same time heartbreaking look at one big night in the company of some truly interesting people.
Mangia.
RATING: ****
|------------------------------|
\ ***** Perfection \
\ **** Good, memorable film \
\ *** Average, hits and misses \
\ ** Sub-par on many levels \
\ * Unquestionably awful \
|------------------------------|
-Christopher Null / null@filmcritic.com / Writer-Producer -Visit the Movie Emporium at http://www.filmcritic.com/ -and Null Set Productions at http://www.filmcritic.com/nullset.htm
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