Debates have continued on whether The Bear should be considered a comedy or a drama, but FX’s groundbreaking series has proven to be one of the most realistic works of culinary fiction. While “culinary” movies generally tend to be comedic, such as Chef or Chocolat, The Bear examined the high-pressure environment of working at an acclaimed restaurant and showed the pressures that food workers were under from their critics, consumers, and financial backers. Culinary thrills were at the center of the underrated thriller Dinner Rush, which explored the behind-the-scenes scheming at a New York restaurant during a particularly important evening. The Bear certainly has its propulsive moments, but Dinner Rush has the type of high-anxiety thrills that are most comparable to Uncut Gems.
One of the best ways to exacerbate the tension of a film is to keep its timeline confined, as many of the best entries in the psychological drama genre take place over the course of a single night. Classic films like Dog Day Afternoon, 25th Hour, After Hours, and Assault on Precinct 13 were highly influential with their structure, as their protagonists had less opportunity to gain outside resources when they were under a strict time limit. Dinner Rush applies the “all in one night” approach to a busy restaurant and creates that sort of suspense that would chill anyone who has ever worked in food service.
What Is ‘Dinner Rush’ About?
Dinner Rush takes a look at the business and creative leads of an acclaimed restaurant in New York’s Tribeca area, which has served as an intersection between the mafia, law enforcement, and various gambling circles. Danny Aiello stars as the restaurant owner Louis Cropa, who has tried to dodge rumors that he was involved with the mob by becoming a productive and prominent member of the community. Louis’ son, Udo (Edoardo Ballerini), has broken out as the star chef of New York’s food world but has made his father uncomfortable by choosing to pursue experimental recipes; despite the fact that Udo has gained the favor of critics, Louis feels that he is now out of touch with the clients that simply want a nice evening of satisfying food. Udo’s closest ally in the kitchen is the sous-chef Duncan (Kirk Acevedo), who is the only member of the cooking staff who has been able to soothe his boss’ rage. Although Udo has come to respect him as a talented chef in his own right, Duncan’s gambling addiction comes back to bite him when loan sharks show up during the “dinner rush” period of the evening.
Dinner Rush engages with a philosophical debate about the goals of a restaurant, and what it should theoretically mean to a community that has supported it. The film questions whether it is possible to be creatively successful within a capitalistic medium, as Udo is willing to pursue more dangerous recipes, regardless if they are popular among the guests that have been showing up for decades. On the flipside, Louis feels that Udo is ungrateful, and that he should have more respect for those that are actually keeping the restaurant alive, and not the pretentious critics who are so eager to tear them down. Duncan pushes both characters to their extremes, as a series of poor bets made on basketball games—reminiscent of the ending to Uncut Gems—gets him in serious trouble. While acknowledging that he is a loose canon who needs to be reigned in before making a grave mistake, Louis has come to respect and admire Duncan as if he was his own son, which has only made Udo feel dejected and jealous.
‘Dinner Rush’ Is a Claustrophobic, Visceral Thriller
While Dinner Rush introduces a criminal element that is tied to Louis’ past, the film does not rely on outside events in order to create intrigue, as the most visceral thrills come from inside the restaurant. Dinner Rush is so exhilarating because the restaurant is operational the entire time, and any issues with potential clients or figures from Louis’ past must be dealt with at the same time that customers are arriving with high expectations about the food. Much of the film deals with the competing ambitions between the three leads, each of whom has different expectations about what the restaurant can achieve for them. Duncan sees it as an employment opportunity in which he can embellish his skills but has not quite learned to keep himself grounded. While Udo is perhaps too ambitious for his own good, Louis wants to maintain the status quo, as he fears that any significant successes or failures could disrupt the social community.
Dinner Rush is brilliantly paced, as it weaves in and out of storylines related to different characters without ever feeling the need to stop and deliver exposition. Even though it can become nauseatingly uncomfortable at times, Dinner Rush is still a film that shows admiration for the process of cooking, serving, and maintaining a restaurant and treats what its characters do as an art form. One of the reasons that The Bear has drawn so much acclaim is that it offered a window into an experience that audiences feel that they were never exposed to before. However, anyone that has enjoyed the adventures of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Syd (Ayo Edebiri), and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) should know that Dinner Rush got there first.
Dinner Rush
Release Date
September 1, 2000
Runtime
99 minutes
Director
Bob Giraldi
Polly Draper
Natalie Clemente
Dining and Cooking