This film is realistic but the ending proves to be a disappointment for me.
Two Italian brothers Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci) own a little Italian restaurant on the Jersey shore, but because Primo is such a perfectionist, the restaurant is not a popular one and thus will soon face financial ruin. It doesn't help that Pascal (Ian Holm), the owner of a popular, lively Italian restaurant tries to get them to fail by promising something that he never delivers.
And, voila, the plot. There are also minor plots between the two men and the women in their lives. Primo has a crush on the widowed florist owner, Ann (Allison Janney) but never acts on it as he is too shy while Secondo juggles his lovely girlfriend, Phyllis (Minnie Driver) but still has time to sex with the Italian Gabriella (Isabella Rossellini). Phyllis finds out about that and goes into the ocean, but doesn't kill herself, like I thought she was for a while, but she leaves him anyway, thank goodness. At least the future looks more promising for Primo and Ann as they leave the beach hand in hand.
The film ends up in the air, with the bank about to take over the restaurant and the brothers future unsettled, with the three of them (Marc Anthony as the loyal waiter Cristiano is the third.) eating a simple egg before their day begins again. I wished the ending offered us some answers. Sure, it is somewhat happy. The brothers are no longer on opposing sides, but even though Primo is a stick in the mud about his cooking, Secondo will always be on his side. They may end up going back to Italy to work for their uncle but they will never go to work for Pascal.
The acting is fabulous, with each actor nailing the accent, no small feat because Shalhoub and Tucci aren't from the same country or have the same origin. But they do not act like they are going through the motions of creating these fabulous dishes, it is as though they are have been making these dishes for years, just like their actual characters, smoking cigarettes like they've been doing it for years.
Tucci is also one of the co-directors. Campbell Scott, the other co-director, appears as a smooth talking car salesman, who fortunately cannot convince Secondo to buy one such car.
Though the film has an authentic flavor, I wished it could have been better. Grade: B
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