Big Night

Continuing on with the food flicks fetish I've been trying to satisfy, I come to the one I generally watch last: Stanley Tucci's Big Night. It's not one that I've rushed to rewatch in the past, perhaps because I have tended to phase out near the end. That has been a mistake.

Since the making of this film, Tony Shalhoub has gone on to create the unforgettable Mr. Monk, the defective detective, and that character peeks out from behind the apron of Shalhoub's Primo (first son) in this earlier work. He plays the older brother, as obsessed with the perfection of the dishes he prepares nightly as his younger brother (played by Stanley Tucci) is obsessed with attaining the American Dream. the result is an insightful study of culture clashes and values clarification against the backdrop of a marvelously prepared Italian feast.

Balancing these tightly wound brothers are three of Hollywood's more interesting female performers: Minnie Driver, Allison Janney, and the ever luminous Isabella Rossallini. Each brings her own depth to the film, enriching it as surely as the pinch of spice we occasionally see Shalhoub toss into a dish.

Equally interestingly subtle is the understated performance of an almost silent Marc Anthony, whose nonverbals do his talking for him. Meanwhile Liev Schrieber and Ian Holm chew scenery with as much gusto as they do the timpano that highlights the Big Meal.

For some reason, whenever I see Ian Holm these days, I flash on his role in The Fifth Element, but there is nothing quiet about this character. I do like the way the game Shalhoub sets his guests to playing provides all the explication necessary for the game Holm has been playing on the chef brothers.

I am glad I watched this one again.