list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Big Night on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Big_Night/93093/default.aspx Title: Big Night
Year: 1996
Director: Stanley Tucci, Campbell Scott
Plot: In this witty drama, a pair of brothers debate integrity versus compromise as they try to succeed in the restaurant business. Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci) have journeyed from Italy to New Jersey in the mid-1950s, determined to make a killing with an authentic Italian restaurant, The Paradise. But their food is a bit too authentic; Primo may prepare a superb risotto, but most of his customers are wondering why they can't get a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Secondo tries to convince his brother not to berate the customers for requesting more "American" dishes, but Primo stands firm. Meanwhile, Pascal (Ian Holm), another local restaurateur, is doing great business with "Italian style" food the brothers wouldn't bother to spit on. Despite Primo's refusal to change his recipes to cater to lowbrow tastes, Secondo goes to Pascal begging for advice. With The Paradise on its last legs, Pascal offers to help -- Louis Prima, the famous Italian-American bandleader, is coming to town, and Pascal is to arrange a banquet in his honor. He'll stage the banquet at The Paradise in the hopes that Prima and his entourage (and hopefully the accompanying press) will fall in love with the authentic food and sing the praises of the foundering restaurant as he tours the country. The preparations for the big night and the behind-the-scenes family drama that ensues is highlighted by a strong supporting cast of Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini, and Allison Janney. Stanley Tucci, who plays Secondo, co-directed with Campbell Scott, who has a small but memorable role as a car salesman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 21
Number of Lists: 15
Number of blog posts: 5
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:35:21 GMTBig Night1996Stanley Tucci, Campbell ScottIn this witty drama, a pair of brothers debate integrity versus compromise as they try to succeed in the restaurant business. Primo (<a href="/players/P____64745/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tony Shalhoub</a>) and Secondo (<a href="/players/P____72023/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Stanley Tucci</a>) have journeyed from Italy to New Jersey in the mid-1950s, determined to make a killing with an authentic Italian restaurant, The Paradise. But their food is a bit <I>too</I> authentic; Primo may prepare a superb risotto, but most of his customers are wondering why they can't get a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Secondo tries to convince his brother not to berate the customers for requesting more "American" dishes, but Primo stands firm. Meanwhile, Pascal (<a href="/players/P____32962/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ian Holm</a>), another local restaurateur, is doing great business with "Italian style" food the brothers wouldn't bother to spit on. Despite Primo's refusal to change his recipes to cater to lowbrow tastes, Secondo goes to Pascal begging for advice. With The Paradise on its last legs, Pascal offers to help -- <a href="/players/P___107102/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Louis Prima</a>, the famous Italian-American bandleader, is coming to town, and Pascal is to arrange a banquet in his honor. He'll stage the banquet at The Paradise in the hopes that Prima and his entourage (and hopefully the accompanying press) will fall in love with the authentic food and sing the praises of the foundering restaurant as he tours the country. The preparations for the big night and the behind-the-scenes family drama that ensues is highlighted by a strong supporting cast of <a href="/players/P___199950/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Minnie Driver</a>, <a href="/players/P____61690/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Isabella Rossellini</a>, and <a href="/players/P___199091/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Allison Janney</a>. <a href="/players/P____72023/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Stanley Tucci</a>, who plays Secondo, co-directed with <a href="/players/P____64044/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Campbell Scott</a>, who has a small but memorable role as a car salesman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide21Tag Target (>10)15513http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t00689pfnrk.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Big_Night/93093/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/20/41149.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/20/2009 4:01:19 PM
Body: In honor of the 75th anniversary of the New York Film Critics Circle, this year’s New Directors/New Films festival will devote a week of matinees to previous NYFCC Best Director winners, selected and presented by current members of the critics group. The can’t-miss of the lineup looks to be the infamously contrarian Armond White’s presentation of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan, which takes place on April 1. The other critics are David Fear, Marshall Fine, Lisa Schwarzbaum and Peter Travers; the other films are Half Nelson, Big Night, Frozen River and In the Company of Men. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:01:19 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/20/2009 4:01:19 PMIn honor of the 75th anniversary of the New York Film Critics Circle, this year’s New Directors/New Films festival will devote a week of matinees to previous NYFCC Best Director winners, selected and presented by current members of the critics group. The can’t-miss of the lineup looks to be the infamously contrarian Armond White’s presentation of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan, which takes place on April 1. The other critics are David Fear, Marshall Fine, Lisa Schwarzbaum and Peter Travers; the other films are Half Nelson, Big Night, Frozen River and In the Company of Men. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2009/3/20/41148.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 3/20/2009 3:01:03 PM
Body: In honor of the 75th anniversary of the New York Film Critics Circle, this year’s New Directors/New Films festival will devote a week of matinees to previous NYFCC Best Director winners, selected and presented by current members of the critics group. The can’t-miss of the lineup looks to be the infamously contrarian Armond White’s presentation of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan, which takes place on April 1. The other critics are David Fear, Marshall Fine, Lisa Schwarzbaum and Peter Travers; the other films are Half Nelson, Big Night, Frozen River and In the Company of Men. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:01:03 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog3/20/2009 3:01:03 PMIn honor of the 75th anniversary of the New York Film Critics Circle, this year’s New Directors/New Films festival will devote a week of matinees to previous NYFCC Best Director winners, selected and presented by current members of the critics group. The can’t-miss of the lineup looks to be the infamously contrarian Armond White’s presentation of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan, which takes place on April 1. The other critics are David Fear, Marshall Fine, Lisa Schwarzbaum and Peter Travers; the other films are Half Nelson, Big Night, Frozen River and In the Company of Men. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/22/32892.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/22/2008 12:00:34 PM
Body: If there’s one thing I relate to on the big screen, it’s the depiction of fraternal relationships. I’m the middle of three brothers (excluding the half-brother I only knew as a toddler and the former stepbrother I only knew briefly as an adult), and at different points in my life I’ve either hated them or considered them my best friends. So, yeah, I can’t wait to see Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as new siblings who go from being enemies to BFFs when forced to live together. Choosing a handful of favorite movies about brotherhood is really tough. After all, tales of brothers go all the way back to almost the beginning, with the story of Cain and Abel. And a number of favorites can’t exactly be discussed, because the revelation of brothers, especially twin brothers, is often the surprise twist in films. So, before you start naming a thousand other films about brothers that I’ve forgotten (such as The Brothers McMullen and Legends of the Fall), keep in mind that I’ve actually left out a whole pile of brother films, and this is more of a personal favorites list. Coupe de Ville – If there’s one movie that seemed to define my brothers and I growing up, it’s this underrated road movie about three estranged siblings (played by Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross and Daniel Stern) delivering the titular automobile to their father (Alan Arkin). As kids, my brothers and I couldn’t have been any more different, just like the guys in the movie. For at least half a decade, until he seemed to disappear after he left the sitcom Ellen, Gross was like my cinematic alter ego, just because I felt a kinship with his middle-brother character in Coupe de Ville so much. Twins – While I’m on the subject of identification, here’s another movie I was able to relate to, as my older brother was (in my young, confused mind) like Schwarzenegger and I was a fat kid. Now that we’re in our 30s, we’re fortunately more physically balanced (or is it just that my perception has matured?). The Godfather Part II – At one time or another, to one degree or another, most of us with brothers have unfortunately had fratricidal thoughts. Again, murdering one’s brother is a plot that goes back to The Book of Genesis, and the theme shows up in some of the greatest of stories, from Shakespeare’s Richard III to the Shakespearean animated film The Lion King. But as I never wanted to murder either of my brothers for gain of power, I’m including this film instead. Oh, wait, I guess I never actually struggled with the idea of whether or not to kill my brother because he’s a liability and an embarrassment, either. The Public Enemy – In fraternal stories, if brothers aren’t trying to kill each other, they’re at least following separate paths, morally and occupationally. Typically, one is a criminal and the other is a cop, politician or priest. This particular gangster film doesn’t portray the divergence as clearly as subsequent films, such as Johnny Dangerously, We Own the Night or any number of Bollywood films, including the classics Deewaar. But it’s the scene in which the brothers argue about their differences and, ultimately, their similarities, that makes the film that much more interesting. Amar Akbar Anthony – Like Deewaar, this film stars Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan and is also about brothers. This time, though, there’s three of them, and each one allegorically represents a different prominent religious group of post-colonial India. Bachchan plays the Catholic one, and the film is worth checking out just for his musical number involving a giant Easter egg. The Best of Youth – Another film about brothers that also represents its nation’s history, this six-hour saga is even longer than the mere three hour Amar Akbar Anthony. If you’re ever in a fraternal mood, you can fill up a whole day of loosely learning about India and Italy via these movies. Or you can simply enjoy two great movies about brothers. American History X – After fratricide and divergence, another common plot involving brothers is the one found here: elder brother tries to keep younger from following in his footsteps. Interestingly enough, Edward Furlong plays the younger in both this film and in Little Odessa. Adaptation – My younger brother and I are differently creative, and in the past we’ve been mistaken for being twins (unlike me and my older brother being like Twins). So, of course, I had to be a sad sack and identify with the protagonist of the story, while viewing the character’s more popular, more successful brother as my own brother. I guess that would put the third act into a sort of wish fulfillment of fratricide. Maybe I need to stop this list before it upsets my currently great relationships with both my brothers. Big Night – Though differently creative, my younger brother and I have at times worked really well together. As many brothers in history have. Though we never attempted to operate a business together, we were in a band together. I guess for that reason I could have used The Blues Brothers here instead, but I like Big Night a whole hell of a lot more. The Darjeeling Limited – Return of the brotherly trio on a trip. Only this time the father has died (good ol’ Oedipal patricide is almost as popular as fratricide – not that any of the brothers killed Dad; I’m merely talking about wish fulfillment for the audience again) and the brothers are even more different (who would ever believe Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody as actual siblings?). I wonder if Wes Anderson ever saw Coupe de Ville. Or Amar Akbar Anthony. And here’s 10 more favorite brother films: Simple Men; Rain Man; La Bamba; Undertow; The Brothers Grimm; The City of Lost Children; The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; Thirteen Days; The Funeral; The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:00:34 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/22/2008 12:00:34 PM If there’s one thing I relate to on the big screen, it’s the depiction of fraternal relationships. I’m the middle of three brothers (excluding the half-brother I only knew as a toddler and the former stepbrother I only knew briefly as an adult), and at different points in my life I’ve either hated them or considered them my best friends. So, yeah, I can’t wait to see Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as new siblings who go from being enemies to BFFs when forced to live together. Choosing a handful of favorite movies about brotherhood is really tough. After all, tales of brothers go all the way back to almost the beginning, with the story of Cain and Abel. And a number of favorites can’t exactly be discussed, because the revelation of brothers, especially twin brothers, is often the surprise twist in films. So, before you start naming a thousand other films about brothers that I’ve forgotten (such as The Brothers McMullen and Legends of the Fall), keep in mind that I’ve actually left out a whole pile of brother films, and this is more of a personal favorites list. Coupe de Ville – If there’s one movie that seemed to define my brothers and I growing up, it’s this underrated road movie about three estranged siblings (played by Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross and Daniel Stern) delivering the titular automobile to their father (Alan Arkin). As kids, my brothers and I couldn’t have been any more different, just like the guys in the movie. For at least half a decade, until he seemed to disappear after he left the sitcom Ellen, Gross was like my cinematic alter ego, just because I felt a kinship with his middle-brother character in Coupe de Ville so much. Twins – While I’m on the subject of identification, here’s another movie I was able to relate to, as my older brother was (in my young, confused mind) like Schwarzenegger and I was a fat kid. Now that we’re in our 30s, we’re fortunately more physically balanced (or is it just that my perception has matured?). The Godfather Part II – At one time or another, to one degree or another, most of us with brothers have unfortunately had fratricidal thoughts. Again, murdering one’s brother is a plot that goes back to The Book of Genesis, and the theme shows up in some of the greatest of stories, from Shakespeare’s Richard III to the Shakespearean animated film The Lion King. But as I never wanted to murder either of my brothers for gain of power, I’m including this film instead. Oh, wait, I guess I never actually struggled with the idea of whether or not to kill my brother because he’s a liability and an embarrassment, either. The Public Enemy – In fraternal stories, if brothers aren’t trying to kill each other, they’re at least following separate paths, morally and occupationally. Typically, one is a criminal and the other is a cop, politician or priest. This particular gangster film doesn’t portray the divergence as clearly as subsequent films, such as Johnny Dangerously, We Own the Night or any number of Bollywood films, including the classics Deewaar. But it’s the scene in which the brothers argue about their differences and, ultimately, their similarities, that makes the film that much more interesting. Amar Akbar Anthony – Like Deewaar, this film stars Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan and is also about brothers. This time, though, there’s three of them, and each one allegorically represents a different prominent religious group of post-colonial India. Bachchan plays the Catholic one, and the film is worth checking out just for his musical number involving a giant Easter egg. The Best of Youth – Another film about brothers that also represents its nation’s history, this six-hour saga is even longer than the mere three hour Amar Akbar Anthony. If you’re ever in a fraternal mood, you can fill up a whole day of loosely learning about India and Italy via these movies. Or you can simply enjoy two great movies about brothers. American History X – After fratricide and divergence, another common plot involving brothers is the one found here: elder brother tries to keep younger from following in his footsteps. Interestingly enough, Edward Furlong plays the younger in both this film and in Little Odessa. Adaptation – My younger brother and I are differently creative, and in the past we’ve been mistaken for being twins (unlike me and my older brother being like Twins). So, of course, I had to be a sad sack and identify with the protagonist of the story, while viewing the character’s more popular, more successful brother as my own brother. I guess that would put the third act into a sort of wish fulfillment of fratricide. Maybe I need to stop this list before it upsets my currently great relationships with both my brothers. Big Night – Though differently creative, my younger brother and I have at times worked really well together. As many brothers in history have. Though we never attempted to operate a business together, we were in a band together. I guess for that reason I could have used The Blues Brothers here instead, but I like Big Night a whole hell of a lot more. The Darjeeling Limited – Return of the brotherly trio on a trip. Only this time the father has died (good ol’ Oedipal patricide is almost as popular as fratricide – not that any of the brothers killed Dad; I’m merely talking about wish fulfillment for the audience again) and the brothers are even more different (who would ever believe Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody as actual siblings?). I wonder if Wes Anderson ever saw Coupe de Ville. Or Amar Akbar Anthony. And here’s 10 more favorite brother films: Simple Men; Rain Man; La Bamba; Undertow; The Brothers Grimm; The City of Lost Children; The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; Thirteen Days; The Funeral; The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_July_7_Foodie_Heaven/625/32210/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/7/2008 6:32:58 AM
Body: Moving along from the depressingly bleak visions of man struggling to survive after the apocalypse, let's spend some time examining films that revolve around humankind's love of food in all it's myriad forms. We all know at least one scene from a film that involves food (from the orgasm sandwich in When Harry Met Sally to the beggars feast in Viridiana or the Chinese restaurant Christmas dinner in A Christmas Story etcetera), but let's discuss those lesser in abundance films in which the entirety of the plot focuses primarily on food. Recently, Ratatouille seemed to bring out the gourmand in a lot of people (similar to what Big Night did more than a decade ago) while No Reservations just seemed to turn everyone's stomachs. Waitress brought about renewed interest in the realm of baking (pies in particular) and Tim Burton's re-imagined Charlie and the Chocolate Factory once again sent everyone's sweet tooth into a diabetic coma. While it could be argued that every zombie movie could be among this list, the best horror movies involving food have been Dumplings, which after watching has made the sound of someone slurping soup make my skin crawl, Blood Feast, which is a more visceral and straightforward version of Fried Green Tomatoes (without all that sappy crap), and of course Attack of the Killer Tomatoes in which food finally gets its revenge on us. On the documentary side of things we have Super Size Me and King Corn (and maybe the faux-based-on-real-events-exploitation-book-adaptation-movie Fast Food Nation). Lastly, some of my guilty pleasures have to be Waiting..., an amazing expose into the behavior of over-worked and under-paid restaurant employee's. Pieces of April, which centers around the amazingly stressful preparation of Thanksgiving dinner. What's Eating Gilbert Grape? which is surprisingly all about food when you think about it (preparing meals for his obese mother, the gentrification of small towns by Wal-Mart-like supermarkets and fast food restaurants, and the main character working in a grocery store and delivering "ice cream" to the local bored housewives). And The Last Supper which turns family dinners into Liberal Judgement Day. So now, where's the beef? I mean, what are some of your favorite foodie flicks?
]]>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:32:58 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme7/7/2008 6:32:58 AM Moving along from the depressingly bleak visions of man struggling to survive after the apocalypse, let's spend some time examining films that revolve around humankind's love of food in all it's myriad forms. We all know at least one scene from a film that involves food (from the orgasm sandwich in When Harry Met Sally to the beggars feast in Viridiana or the Chinese restaurant Christmas dinner in A Christmas Story etcetera), but let's discuss those lesser in abundance films in which the entirety of the plot focuses primarily on food. Recently, Ratatouille seemed to bring out the gourmand in a lot of people (similar to what Big Night did more than a decade ago) while No Reservations just seemed to turn everyone's stomachs. Waitress brought about renewed interest in the realm of baking (pies in particular) and Tim Burton's re-imagined Charlie and the Chocolate Factory once again sent everyone's sweet tooth into a diabetic coma. While it could be argued that every zombie movie could be among this list, the best horror movies involving food have been Dumplings, which after watching has made the sound of someone slurping soup make my skin crawl, Blood Feast, which is a more visceral and straightforward version of Fried Green Tomatoes (without all that sappy crap), and of course Attack of the Killer Tomatoes in which food finally gets its revenge on us. On the documentary side of things we have Super Size Me and King Corn (and maybe the faux-based-on-real-events-exploitation-book-adaptation-movie Fast Food Nation). Lastly, some of my guilty pleasures have to be Waiting..., an amazing expose into the behavior of over-worked and under-paid restaurant employee's. Pieces of April, which centers around the amazingly stressful preparation of Thanksgiving dinner. What's Eating Gilbert Grape? which is surprisingly all about food when you think about it (preparing meals for his obese mother, the gentrification of small towns by Wal-Mart-like supermarkets and fast food restaurants, and the main character working in a grocery store and delivering "ice cream" to the local bored housewives). And The Last Supper which turns family dinners into Liberal Judgement Day. So now, where's the beef? I mean, what are some of your favorite foodie flicks? http://www.spout.com/blogs/unclefestering/archive/2008/5/25/29899.aspx Post By: unclefestering
Post To: unclefestering Blog
Post Date: 5/25/2008 2:29:05 PM
Body: Big Night is one of the great movies about food and family. Two brothers have moved from Italy to Atlantic City in the 1950s to open the restaurant they have always dreamed of. Unfortunately for them, they are having a hard time finding people to share their dreams. The answer: to throw a party for everyone they know to show off how to make dreams a reality. This movie is funny and sensual. It is touching and angry. It talks about art and bankruptcy in both the moral and financial sense. The older brother Primo, is the genius chef. He knows and can explain precisely why some foods go with each other and they some should never be out together. His food is high art and needs people to appreciate his art. His brother, Secondo, understands his genius and is left with the unenviable job of translating his genius to the few customers who come in the door who want spaghetti and meatballs. While Primo lives in his idealistic world, Secondo lives in the here and now. His mentor runs the successful restaurant across the street. That restaurant aims for the lowest common denominator. The owner put on a show for all his customers. The food is all very basic, very simple; requiring no effort or appreciation for the chefs or the customers. Secondo confides to his mentor and competitor that the bank won’t lend them anymore money. He is frustrated that he cannot bridge the gap between his brother’s artistic success and his friend’s financial success. The answer is proposed that his mentor will invite Jazz legend Louis Prima to Primo and Secondo’s restaurant. They will throw a big party for him, invite everyone they know and the local press. They can then build off the notice that the visit will bring and voila, they will have their successful restaurant. His brother Primo, while supremely confident in his artistic powers, is extremely self confident in his lack of ability to communicate to others without his brother. He thinks he is in love with the woman who sells the restaurant flowers, but cannot work up the courage to ask her out on a date. Even with his friends in the neighboring barber shop, he can’t discuss his fears and frustrations. His only source of communication is through food. Primo manages to work up the courage to invite the local flower seller. Secondo invites his fiancée, his mistress (and wife of his mentor), along with everyone else they can think of. The feast they create takes all of the money they have left in the bank. In the kitchen, they speak to each other in the language of food and they begin to share that language with those that they love. The feast they produce will make you hunger for Italian specialties you’ve never dreamed of and suspect you will never find. The party goes from loud raucous fun to moments of quiet magic; from shared communal joy to individual anger and pity. It has everything you want in a party. Every character, major and minor, is a fully fleshed out individual, not a shorthand or stereotype. This movie shows the transformative power of high art. Art, not only as a movie, not only as a feast, but as how life should be lived.
]]>Sun, 25 May 2008 18:29:05 GMTunclefesteringunclefestering Blog5/25/2008 2:29:05 PM Big Night is one of the great movies about food and family. Two brothers have moved from Italy to Atlantic City in the 1950s to open the restaurant they have always dreamed of. Unfortunately for them, they are having a hard time finding people to share their dreams. The answer: to throw a party for everyone they know to show off how to make dreams a reality. This movie is funny and sensual. It is touching and angry. It talks about art and bankruptcy in both the moral and financial sense. The older brother Primo, is the genius chef. He knows and can explain precisely why some foods go with each other and they some should never be out together. His food is high art and needs people to appreciate his art. His brother, Secondo, understands his genius and is left with the unenviable job of translating his genius to the few customers who come in the door who want spaghetti and meatballs. While Primo lives in his idealistic world, Secondo lives in the here and now. His mentor runs the successful restaurant across the street. That restaurant aims for the lowest common denominator. The owner put on a show for all his customers. The food is all very basic, very simple; requiring no effort or appreciation for the chefs or the customers. Secondo confides to his mentor and competitor that the bank won&rsquo;t lend them anymore money. He is frustrated that he cannot bridge the gap between his brother&rsquo;s artistic success and his friend&rsquo;s financial success. The answer is proposed that his mentor will invite Jazz legend Louis Prima to Primo and Secondo&rsquo;s restaurant. They will throw a big party for him, invite everyone they know and the local press. They can then build off the notice that the visit will bring and voila, they will have their successful restaurant. His brother Primo, while supremely confident in his artistic powers, is extremely self confident in his lack of ability to communicate to others without his brother. He thinks he is in love with the woman who sells the restaurant flowers, but cannot work up the courage to ask her out on a date. Even with his friends in the neighboring barber shop, he can&rsquo;t discuss his fears and frustrations. His only source of communication is through food. Primo manages to work up the courage to invite the local flower seller. Secondo invites his fianc&eacute;e, his mistress (and wife of his mentor), along with everyone else they can think of. The feast they create takes all of the money they have left in the bank. In the kitchen, they speak to each other in the language of food and they begin to share that language with those that they love. The feast they produce will make you hunger for Italian specialties you&rsquo;ve never dreamed of and suspect you will never find. The party goes from loud raucous fun to moments of quiet magic; from shared communal joy to individual anger and pity. It has everything you want in a party. Every character, major and minor, is a fully fleshed out individual, not a shorthand or stereotype. This movie shows the transformative power of high art. Art, not only as a movie, not only as a feast, but as how life should be lived. http://www.spout.com/blogs/unclefestering/archive/2008/5/9/28430.aspx Post By: unclefestering
Post To: unclefestering Blog
Post Date: 5/9/2008 9:33:14 PM
Body: No Reservations is the American remake of the German movie Mostly Martha (2001). It has all the right plot points, but as the saying goes if it doesn't gel, it isn't aspic. This movie tries to make the point that cooking is about passion, but the passion never seems real. Other than cooking there doesn't seem to be anything that bonds Catherine Zeta Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Many movies link food and passion. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) shows that life without love and passion is like a life without taste. Big Night (1996) shows that skill and passion turn food into art. No Reservation tries to make those same points, but fails to be convincing about them. I would reccommend either of those before suggesting you see this.
]]>Sat, 10 May 2008 01:33:14 GMTunclefesteringunclefestering Blog5/9/2008 9:33:14 PMNo Reservations is the American remake of the German movie Mostly Martha (2001). It has all the right plot points, but as the saying goes if it doesn't gel, it isn't aspic. This movie tries to make the point that cooking is about passion, but the passion never seems real. Other than cooking there doesn't seem to be anything that bonds Catherine Zeta Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Many movies link food and passion. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) shows that life without love and passion is like a life without taste. Big Night (1996) shows that skill and passion turn food into art. No Reservation tries to make those same points, but fails to be convincing about them. I would reccommend either of those before suggesting you see this. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
Number of films tagged: 607

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]]>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:46:10 GMT607316940Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
Number of films tagged: 509

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]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT509179921Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/competition/MemberTagFilms.aspxcompetition
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]]>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:49:19 GMT12824295Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/poverty/MemberTagFilms.aspxpoverty
Number of films tagged: 1505

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]]>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:28:37 GMT15053870Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/brother/MemberTagFilms.aspxbrother
Number of films tagged: 2301

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]]>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:56 GMT23013082Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/food/MemberTagFilms.aspxfood
Number of films tagged: 622

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]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:14 GMT6223047Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/awkward-moments/MemberTagFilms.aspxawkward-moments
Number of films tagged: 46

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]]>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:29:18 GMT462880Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/jazz/MemberTagFilms.aspxjazz
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Number of people who tagged: 28

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]]>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:22:39 GMT14232834Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/business/MemberTagFilms.aspxbusiness
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Number of people who tagged: 27

Number of times used: 70

]]>Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:05:14 GMT17472770Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/passion/MemberTagFilms.aspxpassion
Number of films tagged: 326

Number of people who tagged: 27

Number of times used: 48

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:13:05 GMT3262748Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/restaurant/MemberTagFilms.aspxrestaurant
Number of films tagged: 319

Number of people who tagged: 11

Number of times used: 25

]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:19:55 GMT3191125Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/success/MemberTagFilms.aspxsuccess
Number of films tagged: 404

Number of people who tagged: 11

Number of times used: 22

]]>Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:49:00 GMT4041122Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cooking/MemberTagFilms.aspxcooking
Number of films tagged: 680

Number of people who tagged: 10

Number of times used: 15

]]>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:49:06 GMT6801015Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/chef/MemberTagFilms.aspxchef
Number of films tagged: 452

Number of people who tagged: 9

Number of times used: 12

]]>Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:49:00 GMT452912Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/jersey/MemberTagFilms.aspxjersey
Number of films tagged: 7

Number of people who tagged: 9

Number of times used: 10

]]>Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:32:52 GMT7910Tag