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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.78:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  Subtitles
    English
  Extras
  • 5 Theatrical trailer - Dinner Rush; Spirited Away; Rain; Startup.Com; 24 hour Party People
  • 2 Featurette - Behind the Scenes; The Famous New Yorker
  • 4 Recipe

Dinner Rush

Madman Cinema/AV Channel . R4 . COLOR . 94 mins . MA15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Recently, I was chowing down on some home made hamburgers I’d whipped up (the secret is to use at least 250 grams of premium mince for a burger big enough to make you pass out trying to eat it, a single slice of cheese placed on the pattie and melted in the grill at the very end and absolutely no onions at all!) when I figured that it was as good a time as any to indulge in Dinner Rush. I settled in to my recliner, the plate balanced on my knees and hoped that the film would be an entertaining diversion from the realities of my life.

From the opening scenes, I knew I would enjoy this. A bunch of older guys are sitting around a table discussing food and bookmaking, as well as making small talk, and as I’m chomping into my burger and watching the food on display I’m thinking that the burger isn’t going to be enough to get me through the film. Turns out Danny Aiello is one of the older guys, the owner of the restaurant they’re in, and they’re discussing going legit and dumping the bookmaking to a bunch of low level hoods and sticking with the food trade. It’s a good storyline, I thought, I can get into this.

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"Burger and fries? Here's your burger and fries! I'm a f*cking chef, not a drive-thru attendant!"

The kitchen is run by his son (Edoardo Ballerini) who’s into far more contemporary fare rather than the sausage and peppers of his father’s era, and it’s paid off in spades by getting him good write-ups by food critics. So there’s this conflict going between the father and son, which isn’t anything new, but is familiar and comfortable territory that plays well. So it unfolds, and it’s soon obvious that this is about many different stories, with everyone getting a chance to play out their little bit of drama/comedy, like the useless little garnishes you get on the side of your meal which are largely window dressing. But before the gangster angle gets a play, all the food on display and the frenetic kitchen activity has made me hungry again, so I had to make myself a bite to eat. So it was back into the kitchen to whip myself up another snack. This time I felt like something slightly less substantial than a burger, being an hour or two before dinner yet and not wanting to ruin my appetite and all, so I started with some chicken fillets I had defrosting in the oven and figured maybe an early dinner wouldn’t hurt, that way I could get an earlier start on breakfast the next day, so I sliced the chicken into thin strips and a thought occured, “what if I put some port in with chicken pieces and caramelise it so that the chicken is soaked in wine and has a sticky sweet coating on the outside, then serve that up with a bit of basmati rice? …mmm”, so I poured about a glass of Wolf Blass Tawny Port into the frying pan with the chicken and simmered that for a bit until it was lightly cooked throughout then I cranked up the heat and really seared the bastards and the port was going thick and sticky and smelled fantastic and I was happier than a pig in shit.

So naturally I forgot about the film completely, and kept stuffing my face. Later, after digesting dinner for a bit with a good lay down in the backroom listening to some Jeff Buckley on CD, I remember the film and I go back to the lounge room and put it back on. The story is going on in the same way as I left, new characters introduced and everyone interacts with each other, the story is woven nicely, and you just get a feeling that there has got to be a payoff somewhere along the line, otherwise the picture will just meander along and end abruptly. Tensions are rising, the gangsters are getting impatient, the cooks firing on all cylinders and the food oozing from the television… damn, that Danny Aiello is really good, the guy should be in more films. Why isn’t he in more films? Who can I ask? You really feel for him. His son is pushy and arrogant and doesn’t like the old school food, and his best friend and partner of 25 years is dead at the hands of the goons on the balcony. No wonder he wants out of the game.

At this point I’m thinking that a big bowl of popcorn, dusted with some icing sugar would be great, so off I go again into the kitchen. Back in front of the telly again, I decided that this would be my last sitting with the film, I would not get up and make myself a meal, a snack, a bite, a drink, nothing again, not until I was finished with Dinner Rush once and for all.

It’s going along pretty good, I’m really enjoying the film, enjoying the way that it has multiple threads weaving in and out of each other and laying out a tale that’s homey and believable and then someone mentions dessert, and what with me having a sweet tooth and all I just knew that I was going to be in serious trouble… so I’m gritting my teeth and visions of chocolate icecream with chocolate coated almonds and cherry sauce are floating through my head and I’m drooling just thinking about this, and how maybe a nice drop of port to top this off would go down a treat RIGHT NOW and I’m up and out of my chair and before I know it I’m back in the kitchen and my arms are a whirling blur as they whip around the fridge and cupboards and pretty soon I’m back in front of the telly with my little treat and I’m indulging in this and thinking that this film is evil and could cure anorexia, and back into the film and thinking oh my god this film is really good because every time I watch it not only do I enjoy the plotting and the classy performances and (you know, that Danny Aiello is a ripper actor isn’t he? Have I mentioned that?) and the guy who plays his son/head chef is really good too, and I can even just about tolerate the excremental Sandra Bernhard who just makes my wife’s blood boil (so it’s a good thing she’s not home right now) and the story is coming up to a pay off and when it comes WHAM! yes, I’m at once finally satisfied with the film and with the dessert I just had and hey, why the hell don’t my jeans fit more?

I undo the top button on my jeans. I undo another… and maybe just one more, yep that’s better, I can breathe now. So wrapping up, I guess it’s not every day you get to watch a film that makes you feel like burping afterwards. I personally consider it a good sign, so give Dinner Rush a fry... I mean try.

  Video
Contract

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Around the head is an example of the outline which appears during some movement.
If you’ve been to any trendy restaurants lately, you might find the look of the film familiar and inviting. The 1.78:1 picture is anamorphically enhanced and appealing, but not without its problems. Good bits are the richness of the look, with warm and sumptuous colours in the restaurant area that make you want to pull up a seat and order a meal. This contrasts well with the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, painted in cold and harsh blue tones, perhaps a little clichéd but never off putting. Lots of dark areas fill the frame, with detail dropping off quite sharply in much of the dimmer areas, but the look is good and the blackout scenes handled well with just the right balance. The problem I did notice occurred when some dark objects moved against a lighter background, creating a trail or outline that followed its motion (see the screengrab to the right). This didn’t appear right throughout the film, but every now and then managed to catch my eye and looked a bit weird.

  Audio
Contract

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track manages reasonably well to capture the ambience of a busy and crowded environment. Speech is clear, and seeing as there’s a lot of it and most worthwhile listening to, this clarity pays dividends. The general ambience is nice, not too overdone and a messy cacophony, striking just the right note of background activity that rounds out the sensation that you’re in the area amongst them.

  Extras
Contract

A better selection than released overseas, and one which would have been improved immensely with the inclusion of a commentary, but we can’t have everything, can we? In no particular order, there’s an entertaining theatrical trailer that plays up the food and gangsters angle well, four recipes which should have you drooling, and show a bit of creativity by the good people who put the disc together (take a bow, guys), Madman Propaganda which contains a further four trailers for Spirited Away, Rain, Startup.Com and 24 Hour Party People and finally two featurettes (Behind the Scenes and The Famous New Yorker). The first is the typical brief featurette but is helped by having more interview content than usual, and reveals the director Giraldi owns ten New York restaurants, so I guess he knew what he was doing.

  Overall  
Contract

If you can stop stuffing your face with Twisties and nachos for ten minutes, get in your car and get down to your local and hire or buy Dinner Rush for the night. It's a good film just for the story, and if you appreciate the culture you'll like it even more. Just remember to wear the pants with the elastic waist when you watch it.


  • LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=2815
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      And I quote...
    "I guess it’s not every day you get to watch a film that makes you feel like burping afterwards."
    - Vince Carrozza
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Sony DVP-525
    • TV:
          Philips 55PP8620
    • Receiver:
          Sony STR-DB1070
    • Speakers:
          Wharfedale s500
    • Centre Speaker:
          Polk Audio CS245
    • Surrounds:
          Wharfedale WH-2
    • Subwoofer:
          DB Dynamics TITAN
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard Optical
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
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