Big Night
Release date: 1996-09-20
Votes: 261
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy
Primo and Secondo, two immigrant brothers, pin their hopes on a banquet honoring Louis Prima to save their struggling restaurant.
Reviews
Filipe Manuel Neto
**A forgotten film about naive, deeply believable and human people.** There are certain films where everything depends on the actors' performance, and this is one of them. The dialogues are truly rich, the development of the characters and the ways they interact is highly valued, the plot is reduced to the simplest it can be and almost everything happens in the limited space of the Italian restaurant. It looks like a play, and that even leads me to believe that the film could be an adaptation of a play. Such simplicity and minimalism obviously mean that there was no significant financial investment on the production side. Cheap to make, with touches of indie cinema and quality personnel in the cast and crew, the film meets the necessary goals to entertain us pleasantly for some time, but it will never be unforgettable for anyone. In fact, it is quite forgotten nowadays, which I completely understand. Technically, the film does everything without mistakes, but it doesn't take any risks: the cinematography doesn't bring anything new or bold moves, rather the regular average that is presented without a single error. In common, the soundtrack is perfectly forgettable and the scenarios, although good and perfectly credible, do not have any particular interest. Even the restaurant is banal, an average establishment without any kind of interest, where you go for the quality of the food and not exactly for the atmosphere. The plot is very simple and works excellently: two brothers, Italian immigrants, have a restaurant that is about to close because they didn't know how to manage it and gain customers; This leads them to listen to the advice of the owner of a competing restaurant and invite singer Louis Prima to dinner in the hope of boosting the business. The brothers are, each in their own way, perfectly naive! If one is unable to understand that in a business like that, the customer is in charge and not the cook, the other decides to trust the advice of someone who had every reason to harm them. This makes them human, believable, and it is impossible not to suffer for them. The naivety is not just theirs: the character of Minnie Driver is also deeply naive in her own way, in the way she becomes romantically involved and allows herself to be deceived. Stanley Tucci, intelligently, collaborated directly in writing the script and the result was one of the best works of his career, with the actor in a role that he tailored to his own abilities and qualities, without prejudice to his colleagues, to whom he gives the necessary space to showcase their talent. Thus, Tony Shalhoub also makes the film an authentic calling card, proving his qualities as an actor. In a more reserved position, we must also highlight the collaboration of Minnie Driver and Ian Holm, and also the special participation of Isabella Rossellini, who brightens the film with her occasional but very committed collaboration.
Movie Recommendation
Kolya1996-05-15After a fictitious marriage with a Russian emigrant, Cellisten Louka, a Czech man, must suddenly take responsibility for her son. However, it’s not long before the communication barrier is broken between the two new family members.More...
David Byrne's American Utopia2020-09-10A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.More...
Knightriders1981-04-10A medieval reenactment troupe struggles to maintain its family-like dynamic amid pressure from local authorities, interest from talent agents, and their so-called king's delusions of grandeur.More...
The Impostors1998-10-02Wrongly accused of physically abusing a fellow actor, starving thespians Arthur and Maurice find themselves pursued by the law aboard a cruise ship.More...
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle1994-09-07Dorothy Parker remembers the heyday of the Algonquin Round Table, a circle of friends whose barbed wit, like hers, was fueled by alcohol and flirted with despair.More...
Flower and Snake 2: Sketch of Hell1985-08-24The daughter of a wealthy family rebels when her father remarries and she becomes a leader of a girl gang. She hatches a plot to use her stepmother to get a large sum of money by pretending to be kidnapped. But the tables are turned when gangsters intervene and capture them both. They are subjected to various humiliations and sexual perversions.More...
Leonard Cohen: Live in London2008-07-171. Dance Me To The End Of Love 2. The Future 3. Ain't No Cure For Love 4. Bird On The Wire 5. Everybody Knows 6. In My Secret Life 7. Who By Fire 8. Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye 9. Anthem 10. Tower Of Song 11. Suzanne 12. The Gypsy's Wife 13. Boogie Street 14. Hallelujah 15. Democracy 16. I'm Your Man 17. Recitation 18. Take This Waltz 19. So Long, Marianne 20. First We Take Manhattan 21. Sisters Of Mercy 22. If It Be Your Will 23. Closing Time 24. I Tried To Leave You 25. Whither Thou Goest On March 31, 2009, Leonard Cohen released Live In London, his first new recording since 2004’s Dear Heather. This collection available in DVD and 2 CD formats was recorded live on July 17, 2008 at London’s 02 Arena, one of Europe’s largest indoor venues.More...
The Saint Bernard Syndicate2018-05-09The film is a comedy about Rasmus and Frederik, two Danish men in their 30s, who head out on a business venture. They know each other from a boarding school back in Denmark and none of them have really been successful in life so far. Now they meet, 15 years later, both keen to set up a dog breeding centre. The two partners have learned that so-called luxury dogs are extremely popular among the Chinese upper class and therefore expect this to be their way into fast and overwhelming wealth in China. A 200 plus lb St. Bernard dog by the name of Dollar travels with them to Chongqing. Here they meet up with the mysterious Mr. Liu who owns the largest bakery in Western China and who believes that dogs are as powerful as humans. Soon, the dog business evolves in unexpected ways, while the friendship between the two Danes grows stronger.More...
The Trip2011-04-24When Steve Coogan is asked by The Observer to tour the country's finest restaurants, he envisions it as the perfect getaway with his beautiful girlfriend. But, when she backs out on him, he has no one to accompany him but his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon.More...
Lone Star1996-06-21When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.More...
Diva1981-03-11Jules, a young Parisian postman, secretly records a concert performance given by the opera singer Cynthia Hawkins, whom he idolises. The following day, Jules runs into a woman who is being pursued by armed thugs. Before she is killed, the woman slips an audio cassette into his mail bag...More...
The Art of War2000-08-25Neil Shaw is both agent and weapon - a critical line of defense for the Secretary General of the United Nations. He does not even officially exist. As an international security expert, he must uncover an international plot in which ruthless terrorists threatened to bring down the United Nations on the eve of an historic summit with China. A mysterious chain of events leads to the murder of the Chinese U.N. Ambassador, and the terrorists frame Neil Shaw, the one man they believe can stop them. Accused of the crime, Shaw goes underground — in effect, vanishing from his own life — as he tries to stop what could become World War III.More...
Goya's Ghosts2006-11-08Painter Francisco Goya becomes involved with the Spanish Inquisition after his muse, Inés, is arrested by the church for heresy. Her family turns to him, hoping that his connection with fanatical Inquisitor Lorenzo, whom he is painting, can secure her release.More...
Subway1985-04-10Fred, a raffish safe blower, takes refuge in the Paris Metro after being chased by the henchmen of a shady businessman from whom he has just stolen some documents. While hiding out in the back rooms and conduits of the Metro, Fred encounters a subterranean society of eccentric characters and petty criminals.More...
I ♥ Huckabees2004-09-10A husband-and-wife team play detective, but not in the traditional sense. Instead, the happy duo helps others solve their existential issues, the kind that keep you up at night, wondering what it all means.More...
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India2001-06-15The year is 1893 and India is under British occupation. In a small village, the tyrannical Captain Russell has imposed an unprecedented land tax on its citizens. Outraged, Bhuvan, a rebellious farmer, rallies the villagers to publicly oppose the tax. Russell offers a novel way to settle the dispute: he challenges Bhuvan and his men to a game of cricket, a sport completely foreign to India. If Bhuvan and his men can defeat Russell's team, the tax will be repealed.More...
Raise the Red Lantern1991-12-18In 1920s China, 19-year-old Songlian becomes a concubine of a powerful lord and is forced to compete with his three wives for the privileges gained.More...
About Schmidt2002-12-12A recently retired man embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected.More...
The Half of It2020-05-01Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul, who needs help wooing the most popular girl in school. But their new and unlikely friendship gets tricky when Ellie discovers she has feelings for the same girl.More...
Aftermath2017-02-28A fatal plane crash changes the lives of Roman and Jake forever. Roman loses his wife and daughter in the accident, while Jake loses his mind—as he happens to be the air traffic controller who failed to avert the nightmare. Rage and revenge engulfs Roman and Jake finds himself swamped with guilt and regret.More...
Similar Movies
Displaced Perssons
2013-08-23Per Persson left Sweden 40 years ago. In Pakistan he fell in love and became the father of two daughters. Trouble starts when the girls grow up and the family decides to emigrate to Sweden. When they end up living in a caravan outside Hässleholm, all their expectations are dashed.Harold & Kumar Go to ...
2004-07-02Nerdy accountant Harold and his irrepressible friend, Kumar, get stoned watching television and find themselves utterly bewitched by a commercial for White Castle. Convinced there must be one nearby, the two set out on a late-night odyssey that takes them deep into New Jersey. Somehow, the boys manage to run afoul of rednecks, cops and even a car-stealing Neil Patrick Harris before getting anywhere near their beloved sliders.The Best Man's Weddin...
2000-12-22Roro, a foreign worker in Swedish parks, loves his girlfriend but is about to marry another girl to prevent her from being sent back to Lebanon. Meanwhile, Roro's best friend, Måns, has serious problems getting an erection.Mulholland Falls
1996-04-26In 1950s Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.Brewster's Millions
1985-05-22Monty Brewster, an aging minor-league baseball player, stands to inherit $300 million if he can successfully spend $30 million in 30 days without anything to show for it, and without telling anyone what he's up to... A task that's a lot harder than it sounds!The Summer I Turned 1...
1976-03-04The story Peter is telling the about a special summer, when he is invited over to summer holiday from bickering parents, to his aunt and uncle in the country. He's been there before, but this summer was quite one to remember.Always - Sunset on Th...
2005-11-11Teenage Mutsuko comes to Tokyo for work but ends up at a repair shop. She befriends the owner's family. Neighbors Hiromi, writer Chagawa with admirer Junnosuke strive alongside them in postwar Tokyo's evolution.October Sky
1999-02-19The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.The Cook, the Thief, ...
1989-10-13When churlish mobster Albert Spica acquires an upscale French restaurant in London, he dines there nightly, effectively scaring off the clientele with his bad manners. His wife, Georgina, is especially disgusted by him, and soon begins an affair with regular guest Michael. Despite their best efforts to keep it secret, Spica learns about their trysts, and he plots a terrible revenge.Fearless
2006-01-26After going through a series of tragic events in his life, martial arts master Huo Yuanjia returns to Tianjin and must fight four international soldiers, in order to safeguard his nation's pride.Wedding Daze
2006-09-09After losing the woman of his dreams, Anderson is convinced he'll never fall in love again. But at the urging of his best friend, he spontaneously proposes to a dissatisfied waitress named Katie and an innocent dare evolves into the kind of love that both have been looking for all along.Shine
1996-08-15Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.Under a Piaya Moon
2024-03-15In 1980s Bacolod City, a young man aspires to continue the family legacy by winning an inter-city pastry competition with the help of his feuding grandfather and grandmother.The Secret of the Gra...
2007-12-12In southern France, a Franco-Arabic shipyard worker along with his partner's daughter pursues his dream of opening a restaurant.My Big Fat Greek Wedd...
2002-04-19A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.Netto
2005-05-05Follows the lives of an unemployed drunk and his son as they struggle to adapt to each other.Filler!
2008-05-02Professor Okembje's latest invention signals the dawn of a new era. But will it be the humanity's salvation ... or its damnation? A team of intrepid detectives find themselves caught in a harrowing game of cat and mouse as they attempt to solve its riddle. Woe betides any who dare not gaze upon the majesty that is FILLER!Love Life of a Gentle...
2009-01-01Sasa is an unsuccessful writer who works as a restaurant critic. His life starts to change when he meets and falls in love with Ines who works in a private sports center. However, things get complicated when he writes a bad review for the restaurant owned by a well-connected man. To get his life in order, Sasa has to face up to all of his character flaws.The Place
2017-11-04The fates of an apparently random group of strangers who each come into contact with a mysterious figure who they believe possesses the power to grant any wish, in return for which they must carry out a task he assigns them.Jagame Thandhiram
2021-06-18When a clever, carefree gangster is recruited to help an overseas crime lord take down a rival, he is caught off guard by the moral dilemmas that follow.