Big Night

REVIEW
Adding yet another chapter to the annals of grand cinematic feasts, this charming little indie feature tells the tale of two Italian immigrant brothers who make a go at the American Dream. One part comedy and two parts drama and set in the 1950s on the North Jersey shore, the story centers around Primo (Shalhoub) and Secondo's (Tucci) desperate attempt to kickstart their failing bistro. While Primo and Secondo go out of their way to present authentic and upscale Italian fare, their competitor down the street (Holm) is clobbering them with his low-brow, "Americanized" fare. Ultimately, they gear up for one big splash as they anticipate a visit from Italo-American bandleader Louis Prima. The ensuing feast is worthy of its long list of cinematic antecedants (Babette's Feast, Like Water for Chocalate and Eat Drink Man Woman) and will send any viewer with so much as a twinge of epicureanism rushing to their local trattoria begging for timpano.