‘To eat good food is to be close to God…’
There has been a rash of cooking-related media in recent times what with the success of Boiling Point and The Bear. There is something irresistible about the rattle and hum of a big night behind the scenes in a restaurant. Perhaps it’s because the hustle and bustle of the kitchen is similar to that of a film set. Everyone has their role. The head chef is the director. They set the tone. Big Night, a film about food, family and risotto, dropped to great critical acclaim in the ’90s but has made little impact on the wider cultural conversation. And this is a shame because this is a truly great film…
Brothers Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci – who co-directs the film along with Campbell Scott) are struggling to keep their traditional Italian restaurant afloat in 1950’s New Jersey. In sticking to Primo’s evangelical principles regarding food, the brothers are alienating their unsophisticated American audience. A visit from a famous jazz musician promises to put the restaurant on the map. Meanwhile, Secondo juggles his carnal relationship with Gabriella (Isabelle Rossellini) and a more loving but sexless partnership with Phyllis (Minnie Driver).
Stanley Tucci is a national treasure now with a string of beloved performances to his bow. Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects about how this film has fallen out of favour is the fact that it probably contains Tucci’s best performance. He is at once hilarious, beaten down and determined, a heady mix that juxtaposes wonderfully with Shalhoub’s uncompromising and stubborn Primo. The two brothers feel like brothers. Larger than life, yes, but also authentic and incredibly compelling. The first half of the film builds up to the titular big night but it is the evening itself, taking up the entire third act, that provides the best part of the film. Tucci and Scott perfectly capture that feeling of an unforgettable night. A night when bonds are forged and broken. Tears shed and plates smashed. A night in which Minnie Driver is sick into a hedge whilst still looking drop-dead gorgeous. It’s quite the spectacle.
Big Night is a big-hearted, wildly entertaining and intensely personal film. It deserves to be remembered as one of the great lost films of the ’90s. Bon appetite.