4/5 An order of Sausage and Peppers......per favore
  by MICHAEL ACUNA (Southern California United States)
I've spent the bulk of my adult life in the food business as a student in cooking school, a chef, in restaurant operations and in food procurement. So I can attest to the accuracy of the crazy, loud cacaphonous milieu that serves, not just as a back drop, but as an active character in Bob Giraldi's "Dinner Rush." Giraldi himself is the owner of the restaurant where this movie was filmed. So he knows of what he speaks. The story itself involves bookmaking, addiction to gambling, murder, art, old style cooking versus nouvelle, the chef as star and old courtly values vs new cavalier ones to name a few things. Danny Aiello is the owner, Louis Cropa his son the chef, Udo (Edoardo Ballerino) at a bustling, newly busy restaurant in Tribeca. Udo has recently "saved" the restaurant from extinction and red sauce and meatballs with his new ideas and recipes...or has he? Aiello, with his raspy, quiet voice and his total command of the screen acts as the voice of reason and experience and it is obvious he longs for the old ways and the old times when his wife ran the restaurant and where he good get a plate of sausage and peppers. Stylistically, "Dinner Rush" is more like "The Godfather" than "Casino," in that, not only was the film shot in beautiful earth tones in middle light (as was "The Godfather") but, the values put forth are more like those of the 40's and 50's than those of the the year 2001. Giraldi seems to be saying: let's return to a time when life was more clear-cut and simple and Italian food meant red gravy and meatballs and you could tell the bad guys by the shoulder holsters,stick pins and two-toned spectator shoes. Danny Aiello dominates the movie but Edoardo Ballerini, Vivian Wu (Nicole) and Kirk Acevedo (Duncan....late of HBO's "Oz") definitely make good impressions. "Dinner Rush" is a call for reason, re-evaluation and a reinstatement of old ways and values....and hey this makes more sense to me every day.

4/5 A Very Unexpected Surprise (4.5 stars)
  by Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA)
Hard to believe that I have never heard of this movie until I picked it up one night. I like Danny Aiello and I like Mafia type movies. I also like films that revolve mostly around characters and dialogue, as this movie appeared to be just that. So I decided to give it a try. "Dinner Rush" is a highly entertaining film that is both enjoyable and unpredictable.

Owner and bookie Louis Cropa is trying to run a legitimate business. He runs a restaurant and takes great pride in it. However, things get out of hand after his partner is murdered and his chef's gambling problem attracts some unfriendly gangsters to the restaurant. Not to mention that Cropa's son is giving him an attitude, being that he's the head chef and he thinks that he can run the place alone just fine. One thing is for sure, this New York's busy restaurant is the set-up for one wild and unpredictable night to remember.

I was very impressed by this film, being that I wasn't sure what to expect. The acting was great by everyone, the movie was shot and done very well, and the story was engaging from start to finish. It is very hard to have a film rely heavily on only characters and dialogue, but this film does it almost perfectly. I guess my only complaint is that it's a bit short and I think there could've been more outrageous things going on, since there are so many characters around and different opportunities at every corner. Still, I was overall very pleased with it all.

The DVD really doesn't have much to offer, being that it's not a very big budget film. It's probably also due to the fact that not many people know this film even exists. The picture and sound quality was really good. Special features included are: both widescreen and fullscreen formats, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, and a theatrical trailer. There's also DVD-Rom content, but that I have not tried out. I did enjoy the trailer though; not too revealing, but at the same time wets your appetite.

"Dinner Rush" is a complete joy to watch. Like I said, I love it when movies revolve around characters and dialogue rather than on a complex plot. If you're looking for a movie with a simple plot, unpredictable situations, and outrageous characters, this might be the perfect choice for you.

5/5 I loved this movie
  by Nancy R. Katz (NJ)
As a person who loves food, restaurants in Manhattan and Danny Aielleo, I think I loved this movie before I even saw it. But now that I've seen it I can't stop recommending it to every body I know. I loved this movie, the writing, performances, characters and of course, the wonderful recipes created by the kitchen staff.

One can't help but realize how food has changed in the last 20 odd years and perhaps nowhere as much as the New York restaurant scene. Where once diners were afforded large home made food, today we are afforded smaller portions wonderfully presented with moutwatering tastes. We eat from a myriad of spices, tastes and countries. Everything is prepared with thought and passion and presentation is the key word.

And it is Dinner Rush which presents to its viewers the old world of restaurants with mom and pop cooking in the back to today's world of tempermental chefs, sous chefs, matire d's, waiting in line and begging for a reservation. Dining today has become a palate of wonderful foods and memorable experiences. As one of the characters played by John Corbett says, "When did eating become a Broadway production?"

But lest you think that Dinner Rush is only set in a restaurant and kitchen, which it is, the restaurant is so much more and sets the stage for a microcosm of all sorts of people living their lives with all sorts of challenges. From Danny Aiello, the original owner of this restaurant (owned by the director Bob Giraldi) who wonders what happened to spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, to his son, the highly educated chef with his own ideas to the sous chef addicted to betting and finally to the two underworld gentlemen who occupy seats during one night, this movie is a banquet for the eyes ear and nose. It is as if one is tasting the food through the words of all of these fine actors. Not since Big Night with Stanley Tucci, have I enjoyed a movie about food and restaurants as much as I did the night I saw Dinner Rush.

And now you'll have to excuse me as I head out to a favorite Italtian restaurant. Just writing this review has made me hungry. Come to think of it, perhaps I'll see this movie again tonight I enjoyed it so much.

4/5 Great Emsemble Drama; Frenzied Night in New York Restaurant
  by Tsuyoshi (Kyoto, Japan)
Director Bob Giraldi, born in 1939, comes back to feature film after 14 years hietus, but his fame has already been firmly established as an acclaimed music video creator (responsible for Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and many, many others). So, you may think that "Dinner Rush" is just another MTV-influenced nonsense to cash in on his name. No, the film is actually an exciting experience that only Bob Giraldi can provide. And it is shot in his own restraunt "Gigino" in Tribeca, New York.

The film starts with a hideous crime on the snowy street of cold New York City, but don't be worried. "Dinner Rush", never betraying our expectations we would have from the title, soon introduces us to the hot world inside of a popular restaurant run by Louis Cropa (perfectly cast Danny Aiello), where desire of people is smouldering. But Louis, it seems, has many things to be worried about. His son Udo, the star chef and master of "new cuisine" of the place, repeatedly urges his father Louis to give the ownership of the restaurant to him. The sous-chef Duncan, not a bad fellow at all, is stuck deep in debt as a result of his gambling, and today Louis, to his dismay, finds that there are two unwelcome guests at the best table, who are here to require some money. And those terrifying guys seem aiming at the "partnership" of the place, to eventually take over this popular spot.

The film features comparatively unknown but talented cast. Among them, you will definitely remember the acid-tongued critic (Sandra Bernhard); the very mean-spirited guest (Mark Margolis); and the patient waitress aspiring to be an artist (Summer Phoenix). There is also a bartender (and quiz-master) and a mystrious guest who is supposed to come from the Wall Street (but really?). However, by the time the film ends, you will see that it is Danny Aiello who is the real master of the place.

The story is almost buried among the fast pace of editing, and the middle part of the film might make you feel disoriented with too many characters. The film is certainly weak there, apparently not knowing where to go. But wait for a while. Everything fits in its place in the end, you will be not a little surprised to see the conclusion of the film.

The power of "Dinner Rush" lies in its atmosphere Bob Giraldi creates with a handy-type camera, and the realistic images of those "rush"ing characters in the kitchen and the narrow stairs leading there are always fascinating, realizing the hectic pace of cooking. As I said, Giraldi, owner of the place where the film is shot, knows this world very well, and there are also amusing (but uncomfortably real) portraits of people involved in this industry. Aiello's character, half distressed to witness the changes done to the place since the good old days, clearly shares the feeling of the director himself, and these satrical viewpoints are also delicious treats for those interested in this ever-popular business.

"Dinner Rush" is not just a film about food; it is a tight-knit emsemble drama with solid cast, and even peppered with a surprising element of gangster films. I enjoyed it, and hope you do, too.

5/5 Perfect blend of food and gangsters
  by Lleu Christopher (Hudson Valley, NY)
When I rented this movie, I never thought I'd write a review of it, not to mention give it five stars. Dinner Rush, however, is one of those rare movies that is near perfect in every way. To focus on just one element, director Bob Giraldi's portrayal of the preparation and serving of food at a trendy New York restaurant is not merely filmed but choreographed. Food, pots, plates, chefs and waitpersons perform in a dance of fluidity and perpetual motion. Underlying this harmony of motion, however, is a constant tension. Chef Udo (Edoardo Ballerini) rules his kitchen with an iron fist and is ready to fire someone for the slightest transgression. Aside from the everyday challenges of running a kitchen, this restaurant has other problems. Louis, the owner (Danny Aiello) is a bookmaker who prefers the restaurant business to organzied crime. A pair of menacing thugs (who have already killed Louis' partner) are trying to strongarm their way into ownership of the restaurant. Louis' two sons are also trying his patience; Udo wants to run the place himself; Duncan, meanwhile, is a compulsive gambler who falls ever deeper into debt to the same thugs who want to take over the restaurant. In addition to the mob theme (hardly original, but expertly handled here), Dinner Rush does a superb job at portraying the pretentions of New York City nightlife. Mark Margolis is great as an insufferable art gallery owner who presides over a table of suitably hip contemporary artists and takes sadistic pleasure in being obnoxious and condescending to the staff. Sandra Bernhard it also pitch perfect as a snooty food critic. Dinner Rush strikes a good balance between recognizing the pretentions of so-called nouvelle cuisine and respecting the work that goes into preparing it. This is brought out in arguments between Louis, who prefers a traditional plate of sausage and peppers, and Udo, the ultimate nouvelle chef. When Udo prepares a ridiculous looking lobster dish that is a veritable sculpture, we can simultaneously laugh at the absurdity of it and marvel at Udo's talent. The film ends with an unexpected and satisfying twist. Even if you think you've seen more than your share of mob movies, and are not a fan of trendy cuisine (as I'm not), Dinner Rush will appeal to anyone who appreciates great scripts, acting and directing.