Dinner Rush

Rating:
Summary: Right on!
Review: Two thumbs up is right on! I recommend this movie to anyone. I rented it from a video store but then had to purchase it to add to my movie collection! I think it's a movie I'll enjoy watching over and over and over!

Rating:
Summary: It will find its audience someday
Review: Was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. If this movie ever makes it to Spike TV or another cable station, it will find its audience and people will embrace it; quotes will be flying.

A highly entertaining movie which Danny Aiello anchored masterfully. The women in the film were good but the mens interaction with one another was fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect blend of food and gangsters
Review: When I rented this movie, I never thought I'd write a review of it, not to mention give it five stars. Dinner Rush, however, is one of those rare movies that is near perfect in every way. To focus on just one element, director Bob Giraldi's portrayal of the preparation and serving of food at a trendy New York restaurant is not merely filmed but choreographed. Food, pots, plates, chefs and waitpersons perform in a dance of fluidity and perpetual motion. Underlying this harmony of motion, however, is a constant tension. Chef Udo (Edoardo Ballerini) rules his kitchen with an iron fist and is ready to fire someone for the slightest transgression. Aside from the everyday challenges of running a kitchen, this restaurant has other problems. Louis, the owner (Danny Aiello) is a bookmaker who prefers the restaurant business to organzied crime. A pair of menacing thugs (who have already killed Louis' partner) are trying to strongarm their way into ownership of the restaurant. Louis' two sons are also trying his patience; Udo wants to run the place himself; Duncan, meanwhile, is a compulsive gambler who falls ever deeper into debt to the same thugs who want to take over the restaurant. In addition to the mob theme (hardly original, but expertly handled here), Dinner Rush does a superb job at portraying the pretentions of New York City nightlife. Mark Margolis is great as an insufferable art gallery owner who presides over a table of suitably hip contemporary artists and takes sadistic pleasure in being obnoxious and condescending to the staff. Sandra Bernhard it also pitch perfect as a snooty food critic. Dinner Rush strikes a good balance between recognizing the pretentions of so-called nouvelle cuisine and respecting the work that goes into preparing it. This is brought out in arguments between Louis, who prefers a traditional plate of sausage and peppers, and Udo, the ultimate nouvelle chef. When Udo prepares a ridiculous looking lobster dish that is a veritable sculpture, we can simultaneously laugh at the absurdity of it and marvel at Udo's talent. The film ends with an unexpected and satisfying twist. Even if you think you've seen more than your share of mob movies, and are not a fan of trendy cuisine (as I'm not), Dinner Rush will appeal to anyone who appreciates great scripts, acting and directing.