Dinner Rush (2000)
Dinner Rush takes place in one night, solely inside (or in the immediate environs of) an Italian restaurant owned by Louis Cropa (Danny Aiello) – who also runs a bookmaking operation, but vehemently denies any connection to the mob. The film depicts layer upon layer of epic conflict, as director Bob Giraldi continually weaves his camera through the dining area and back into the harshly-lit kitchen.
Back there, where the magic happens, is Head Chef Udo (Edoardo Ballerini) – who is also Cropa’s son – and Sous-Chef Duncan (Kirk Acevedo), a family friend. Cropa prefers traditional Italian cuisine, while Udo chooses to fill the menu with more experimental fare. Cropa treats Duncan like a son, even though he is a gambling addict in debt with both Cropa and the mafia. Duncan often veers away from Udo’s less traditional menu choices in favour of Cropa’s choices – something which causes tension between the two culinary artists.
Udo feels his talents and vision have built the business, so he should be made a partner – all the while a loan shark named Carmen (Mike McGlone) is trying to achieve the same with intimidation. Into this heady mix is stirred a celebrity food critic (Sandra Bernhard), who also happens to be an ex-girlfriend of Udo, and a hostess who is romantically entangled with both chefs. To say the least, this concoction of plot threads and thematic conflict makes for a surprising feast of cinema for the audience.
Written by relatively unknown scribes Brian S. Kalata and Rick Shaughnessy, Dinner Rush is widely held to be one of the most underrated films of contemporary cinema – a little-seen gem that uses every element available to effectively convey plot and atmosphere. Giraldi creates an environment in which the viewer feels welcome – with all of their senses catered to. What more could you ask of your favourite restaurant?