Big Night (1996)

 

New Jersey, 1950s. Two brothers run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan to put on an evening of incredible food.

Wonderfully light-hearted comedy with an excellent ensemble and good period detail is not just great entertainment, but also a culinary experience.

Halliwell**: "Charming small-scale comedy of brotherly rivalry and love, immaculately done." 

Maltin**1/2: "Endearing story...Finely tuned performances, amusing vignettes and observations make this small endeavor worthwhile, but it's too slow and quiet for its own good...The feast on-screen is mouthwatering."

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

 

 

An American couple travel abroad to revitalize their relationship. But as the trip drags on, their attempt at recovering what they once had seems futile.

Beautifully photographed and well-cast adaptation of Paul Bowles' novel is less about the couple's deteriorating marriage, but more about their inability to realize or understand their surroundings and the culture they are traveling through.
 

Halliwell**: "Austere, stunningly photographed movie that yields rewards if approached on its own terms."

Maltin**: "Infuriatingly long, dense story...Paul Bowles' novels are often referred to as unfilmable, and this is certainly proof of that. Vividly atmospheric, well acted, and sexually explicit, but this is a jouney you may not want to take. Bowles narrates and appears on-screen as mysterious man in bar."