Big Night – Nacht der Genüsse (1996)

Big Night – Nacht der Genüsse: Directed by Campbell Scott, Stanley Tucci. With Marc Anthony, Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Larry Block. New Jersey, 1950s. Two brothers run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan to put on an evening of incredible food.

“This movie is like a good poem: it doesnu0026#39;t all make sense, but you love experiencing it, and after youu0026#39;re done you keep thinking about it for days and days.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Big Nightu0026quot; tells of two Italian brothers trying to succeed as restaurateurs in the 1960s. The bulk of the movie revolves a single u0026quot;big nightu0026quot; in which they unleash their finest dishes in a culinary extravaganza.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe leads, Shalhoub and Tucci, are joined by Ian Holm (depicting a rival restaurateur) in a really memorable set of performances. All the minor supporting characters are equally endearing and real-to-life. There is a lot of attention given to the food and to its preparation, and the cinematography used to actually depict the meal (and the music superimposed onto it) is fantastically enjoyable. Itu0026#39;s like the dishes are actors or characters in the play! The movieu0026#39;s final scene is perhaps deserving of the all-time hall of fame. It plays out over several minutes of complete wordless silence, yet it makes such a lasting impression. Ultimately the scene shows that the movie is not about the food or the striving for success, but about the relationship between these brothers, and that the relationship will outlast any of the trials they are undergoing, no matter how severe.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you insist on a tidy ending that resolves all the issues, donu0026#39;t look here because the ending is completely hanging. Yet somehow I found it satisfying nevertheless. Youu0026#39;ll find yourself recalling scenes and lines from the film for weeks to come.”