An honest-to-gosh suspense movie doesn’t come along all that often. It’s a good bet that you’re not going to be able to guess how Dinner Rush (2000, rated R, 99 minutes) ends before you get to the end. It’s worth the wait. The good guys sort of win, kind of. At least you’ll be rooting for the right team.
Danny Aiello as Louis Cropa, a restaurateur-small time bookmaker-small time mob guy, carries the story line in a confined setting: almost the entire movie takes place in Cropa’s restaurant, Gigi’s, a Tribeca eatery with an acclaimed chef that has a long line of waiting patrons.
The nominal themes are good food, gambling, mobster violence, and an extended debate about portrait art.
The real themes are human frailty, family loyalties, and valiant personal character.
A bonus: the supporting cast is really quite entertaining.
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