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."

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (2021)

 

Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines.

Entertaining, informative and sometimes revealing documentary series explores the culinary specialties and some history of Italian regions, meeting interesting cooks and producers, all personally introduced and interviewed by Stanley Tucci who obviously is enjoying it as much as his audience.

The Children Act (2017)

As her marriage crumbles, a judge must decide a case involving a teenage boy who is refusing a blood transfusion on religious principle.

The judicial issue is simply the premise for the well-balanced examination of the boy's fixation on the judge, which opens even deeper issues; Emma Thompson delivers another mainificent performance.

Swing Vote (2008)

In a remarkable turn-of-events, the result of the presidential election comes down to one man's vote.

Surprisingly entertaining and humorous satire with a good cast, and Madeline Carroll is the true star of the movie.

Maltin***: "Sharp, funny, relevant comedy...Genuinely Capraesque movie has a terrific cast that makes the most of the screenplay..."

The Company You Keep (2012)

A former Weather Underground activist goes on the run from a journalist who has discovered his identity.

Subdued and pleasantly melancholic political thriller with a good ensemble works more with atmosphere than suspense.

Maltin**1/2: "Impressive cast can't breathe fire into this story despite its promising ingredients."

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

A rejected military soldier transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum", but being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a war monger and a terrorist organization.

Fairly entertaining comic-book adaptation with some good period detail; thankfully, the original's unflattering patriotism is toned down, and the villain is not the Third Reich itself, but a renegade madman Über-Nazi.

Maltin**1/2: "First half of this period piece is good fun, but story loses its thrust and doesn't even provide an honest ending. Evans is quite good in the title role; visual effects turn him into a puny version of himself for the early scenes."

The Lovely Bones (2009)

A young girl is murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from purgatory.

Although obviously made with a lot of talents involved the director overdid the phantasmagorical elements on the verge to kitsch.

On renewed viewing: I still think this movie could have been better.

Maltin **1/2: "Well-made, well-acted adaptation of Alice Sebold's bestseller suffers from overabundant, heavy-handed images of an Edenic afterlife that don't connect with the rest of the film."

Spotlight (2015)

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Wonderfully unspectacular, almost old-fashioned rendition of the journalistic investigation of a scandal, this way giving the actual story impact and the great ensemble to deliver their talent.

Maid in Manhattan (2002)

A senatorial candidate falls for a hotel maid, thinking she is a socialite when he sees her trying on a wealthy woman's dress.

Despite a star cast and a well-versed director this attempt to recreate a classic sreball comedy is lacklustre and hardly ever manages to produce any excitement - or laughs.

Halliwell (no star): "Trite, sickly, Cinderella romance with a miscast Fiennes, who, like his co-star, shows little talent for comedy."

Maltin***: "...a frothy, old-fashioned Cinderella story...Formulaic to be sure, but Fiennes' charm and Lopez's believability as a hardworking make it an enjoyable romantic fantasy."

Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

The ancient war between humans and a race of giants is reignited when Jack, a young farmhand fighting for a kingdom and the love of a princess, opens a gateway between the two worlds.

Not-so-bad take on the classic children's tale, great settings and thrilling action, but the giants might be a bit too gruesome for kids.

Maltin**1/2: "Elaborate telling of the famous fairy tale...Knockout visual effects and a good cast make this fairly enjoyable, though it goes on longer than it should. Parents should also know that this seemingly family-friendly film has a lot of mayhem in it."

Julie & Julia (2009)

Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.

Likable lightweight and mildy humorous account of the two protagonists' stories; Meryl Streep is, like ever, marvelous.

Maltin***: "Streep is a marvel to behold as the fabled chef (with Tucci a perfect partner as her loving husband), and Adams is well cast as her modern-day disciple. What might have been a great film goes on too long and doesn't provide a satisfying finale."