Dinner Rush

Music may be the food of love, but a group of gangsters are singing a very different tune at a fancy New York dining room in this dark comedy. Louis (Danny Aiello) is the owner of an upscale restaurant in New York's Tribeca district where his son Udo (Edoardo Ballerini) has become the head chef. Udo's exotic recipes have made the restaurant the talk of the town and very profitable as well, though Louis confesses that he can't stand Udo's cooking. Louis has another son, Duncan (Kirk Acevedo), who runs with a bad crowd; Louis finds out just how bad they are one night when they stop by to dine, with Duncan in tow, informing Louis that his son owes them quite a bit of money and they aren't leaving until they're given part ownership of the restaurant -- or else someone will be killed. Dinner Rush was directed by Bob Giraldi, a noted director of commercials and music videos who also enjoyed success as a restaurateur.

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Review: Dinner Rush is billed as Big Night crossed with The Sopranos, but as is often the case, the film proves to be much deeper than a simple tagline can accurately describe; however, it's a good starting point. This film combines elements of a mob drama, albeit a minor one, with those of romance, intellectualism, and a behind-the-scenes documentary feel for the inner workings of a popular New York City restaurant. Instead of giving short shrift to one or more of these ingredients (in keeping with the restaurant theme), director Bob Giraldi and writers Rick Shaughnessy and Brian S. Kalata find just the right mix to keep the plot moving along and the characters interesting in spite of their widely shared screen time. The film centers on a restaurateur and small-time bookie (Danny Aiello) who watches as his chef son (Edoardo Ballerini) turns his traditional Italian eatery into a fanciful trendy hot spot and his partner is murdered by two thugs, including a very effective Mike McGlone, trying to take over his bookmaking business and, it turns out, his restaurant as well. Aiello plays the role somewhere between bemusement and cold-heartedness, but it works because his persona is so strong that he generates a tremendous amount of empathy. All the subplots hold interesting tidbits in them, particularly the patron played by John Corbett, who actually has more reason for being at the bar on this night than is let on. As might be expected, the kitchen scenes are phenomenally staged. The rigors of owning and running a restaurant are on display not only in the preparing of the food, but from the maître-d' and servers as well. Other notable performances include Mark Margolis, who plays a snooty patron providing a good deal of comedy with the grief he gives his waitress, and Sandra Bernhard has a relatively small role as a food critic who has, perhaps not so coincidentally, had an affair with the head chef. The film wraps all of these separate stories together in a very neat and, like a good meal, ultimately satisfying way.