1996 | USA | Colour | 109′ | 35mm
Directors: Campbell Scott, Stanley Tucci
Screenwriters: Joseph Tropiano, Stanley Tucci
Cinematographer: Ken Kelsch
Cast: Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini
In English and Italian with Chinese and English subtitles
A pair of Italian brothers emigrate to America to start a business, opening a restaurant named Paradise. The elder brother, also the perfectionist chef, refuses to compromise his standards to pander to customers’ tastes. The younger one is the manager, who aspires to make his mark in the culinary world, dreaming for Italian cuisine to win acclaim. Yet realising their dream proved difficult; customers’ response is lukewarm, tensions begin to surface between the brothers, and their frustration deepens witnessing competitors draw crowds without prioritising food quality. To save the restaurant, they stage a lavish VIP banquet, determined to turn their fortunes around. Directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci, with the latter also starring as the younger brother, this low-budget production became a food film classic. Risotto tricolore, timpano, and Fiorentina sauce – the dishes left diners spellbound. Even a simple fried egg carries the weight of unspoken emotions.
Directors: Campbell Scott, Stanley Tucci
Screenwriters: Joseph Tropiano, Stanley Tucci
Cinematographer: Ken Kelsch
Cast: Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini
In English and Italian with Chinese and English subtitles
A pair of Italian brothers emigrate to America to start a business, opening a restaurant named Paradise. The elder brother, also the perfectionist chef, refuses to compromise his standards to pander to customers’ tastes. The younger one is the manager, who aspires to make his mark in the culinary world, dreaming for Italian cuisine to win acclaim. Yet realising their dream proved difficult; customers’ response is lukewarm, tensions begin to surface between the brothers, and their frustration deepens witnessing competitors draw crowds without prioritising food quality. To save the restaurant, they stage a lavish VIP banquet, determined to turn their fortunes around. Directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci, with the latter also starring as the younger brother, this low-budget production became a food film classic. Risotto tricolore, timpano, and Fiorentina sauce – the dishes left diners spellbound. Even a simple fried egg carries the weight of unspoken emotions.