This is actually the second time I've viewed this movie. The first time was during a benefit at a local independent movie house where several of the chefs from local italian restaurants cooked for the audience while Big Night was shown on the screen. Because it was such a social occasion it was difficult to concentrate on the film itself.<br /><br />Consequently, while I watched this film for the second time it seemed like a new experience to me. And what an experience!<br /><br />The film takes place during approximately a day and half in the lives of two italian brothers who run a restaurant in New Jersey that is less than successful. Unfortunately, the time has come where they are going to have to close up shop if their luck doesn't turn around immediately. Their competition, Pascal, has a restaurant down the street that is thriving, despite the fact that the food doesn't compare to the brothers' restaurant. Their hopes are heightened however, when Pascal offers to send Louis Prima and his band to their restaurant - a sure fire way to drum up business.<br /><br />This is a small movie with scenes that have an enormous impact. You aren't just told that Pascal's restaurant is tacky and subpar, yet flashy enough for the average diner to come in droves, you walk into it with a great point of view shot. You experience the cramped seating, the garish decorations, the horrid singer who massacres "O Sole Mio" worse than any karaoke singer I've ever heard. Most importantly, the food takes an obvious back seat - there is no presentation. Conversely, in the brother's restaurant, the food preparation scenes are absolutely beautiful. As cliche as it sounds, you can almost feel the pasta dough, smell the basil and taste the marinara.<br /><br />The character development also bears a strong mention. The viewer learns an amazing amount of information about the two main characters, brothers Primo (Shalhoub) and Secondo (Tucci) despite the short time span we have with them. Secondo is definitely the business minded one in the family, while Primo is artistic and passionate about his cooking. While we discover this mainly through their interaction, it is also subtlely exemplified in scenes such as the first sign of Secondo's pure delight while test driving a Cadillac, and Primo's abject happiness while discussing art and his passion for food with a woman with whom he is clearly smitten. There are many subplots within the main story, and for such a simple premise and short time span, the complexities the subplots add to the general story engage the viewer until the real co-star appears. The food.<br /><br />I sincerely believe it is physically impossible to watch this film without your mouth watering at least once. This film could have doubled as a propaganda piece for italian food. As a major lover of italian and sicilian food, I was in my element. The presentation is such that you can taste, smell and feel this food on your pallette. It also unfortunately reminded me that I have a long way to go with my own italian cuisine. I am not going to linger on the scenes which involved food because it is simply something that needs to be experienced on ones own.<br /><br />The acting in this movie was formidable. There were several co-stars that were kind of throwaway characters, (Driver, Rosselini and Marc Anthony, doing his best Harpo Marx impression come to mind). I still am marveling at the choice of Ian Holm as the crazy and ultimately destructive Pascal, but it definitely worked in the film. He also gives the funniest pep talk in the film: "Bite your teeth into the ass of life and drag it to you!" Campbell Scott, who co-directed the film with Tucci has a memorable short scene as a Cadillac salesman. I laughed through the entire scene, because Scott is normally the laid-back and intellectual character in his films - which, at least for this viewer, has always made him very endearing. His bizarre turn in this film was absolutely hysterical.<br /><br />As for the two main characters, I was both content and amazed. While Tucci has long been recognized as a solid character actor (this film being no exception) it was Shalhoub's performance during the film, primarily in the final scenes, that literally made me ache. He was absolutely magnificent and completely exemplified the despair the brothers finally let surface after what has been an apparently long gestation period. Throughout the film as well, however his passion was palpable. He delivered my favorite line of the film, which struck home because of my own (at times) dramatic tendencies: "You have to kill yourself after you eat it because you can't live! To eat good food is to be close to God."<br /><br />This is not intended to be a spoiler, but I found the last five minutes of the film that had absolutely no dialogue to be infinitely more profound than your average cookie-cutter drama. The viewer is left to speculate, something that is a rarity in american films, even with a lot of independents. There has been talk in the last few years of a sequel, but I sincerely hope this never comes to fruition because this film would lose its impact if it were anything but a stand-alone masterpiece.<br /><br />Big Night draws you in quickly, leading you in by your senses. I have not wanted to be in a scene from a movie as much as I did during the last half hour of the movie. They made the spectacle almost as much a part of the scene as the food. The brothers make food an event and give the audience a plethora of reasons to do the same. As for me, I normally prefer "I Paliacci" or "Turandot" when I am attempting my Risotto or Lasagne Bolognese but I think I will pull out my Louis Prima albums the next time I cook. Besides, it's been a couple of years since I've danced around the kitchen with an open wine bottle lip synching "Mambo Italiano" by Rosemary Clooney.<br /><br />Bottom Line: Watch this movie - just not on an empty stomach, unless you don't mind running to your local italian restaurant after.<br /><br />--Shelly