We’re so excited to have our guest Movie Critic, Paul McGuire back to share his review of one of the greatest foodie movies – Big Night. One of the best supporting actors working today is Stanley Tucci. You may have seen him in his Oscar-nominated role in The Lovely Bones or in The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, or Captain America: The First Avenger. He’s not only known for his film work, but also for his work on the stage and the small screen. One of his good friends and collaborators is Tony Shalhoub (TV’s “Monk”). They both starred in one of the ultimate foodie movies, Big Night.
Big Night
Director: Campbell Scott, Stanley Tucci
Starring: Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Minnie Driver, Ian Holm, Isabella Rossellini, Allison Janney
Written, directed, and starring Stanley Tucci, Primo (Shalhoub) and Secondo (Tucci) are two Italian brothers trying to run a restaurant. They make very traditional dishes, but the customers are not lining up the way they should be. The customers that do turn up complain that they aren’t getting the free side of spaghetti or meatballs they think they deserve. They barely even know what risotto is. Secondo tries to cater to the customer’s needs to bring them back, but Primo would rather stick to his traditions. Secondo is also struggling to maintain his relationship with Phyllis (Driver). He blames his financial insecurities as to why he is emotionally unattached. This doesn’t stop him, however, from having an affair with Gabriella (Rossellini). Gabriella is also the wife of Secondo’s strongest competitor, Pascal (Holm). Pascal runs a very successful restaurant, and Secondo turns to him for help as well. In a last ditch effort, Secondo sets out to have one big party full of their best dishes to make their restaurant last. “After tonight, everything will be different”, explains Secondo to Primo. Drinks, music, dancing, and delicious food make for a wonderful evening.
Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub make a great acting pair. I really believed in their relationship and the back and forth love and hatred they had for each
other. It’s filled with great humor mixed with the emotional ride that comes with family struggles, life struggles, job struggles, and the idea of not letting life get in the way of doing what you love. I always love the camera shots in movies when they go close up on a character making food from scratch. There is a close-up shot of home-made pasta being made from the very first step. It just makes you want to dig into your pantry to find the flour, eggs, salt, and
water and start making your own pasta. Naturally, they make it look super easy too. Watch for a very young Marc Anthony as one of the other chefs.
“To eat good food is to be close to God.”- Primo
Did you know that Stanley Tucci is a wine connoisseur? He hosts a wine show called, “Vine Talk”. He leads a celebrity panel to discuss their current projects while tasting various wines from a specific region. You can find his show on Public Television. Visit www.vinetalk.com to learn more about the show, watch various clips, and find specific show times and stations. You can also find more information on their Twitter and Facebook pages.
Paul McGuire; Movie Critic, Professional Actor, and Life-Long Movie Buff.
Check out Paul’s blog at http://elblogdepmcg.blogspot.com/
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