In the show “Nonnas,” a team of Italian grandmothers run a restaurant kitchen in what turns out to be an undercooked comedy, resembling more of a quick-service eatery rather than a homemade feast.
Vince Vaughn portrays Joe Scaravella, a New Yorker who is still mourning the passing of his mother. The familiar taste of her delicious family recipes brings back memories of not just her but also his grandmother, known as Nonna. Utilizing his $200,000 inheritance received after her demise, the subway system employee decides to open a restaurant aimed at honoring both his mother’s legacy and her culinary skills.
Oh, this isn’t your ordinary eatery. Joe’s brilliant notion involves employing Italian nonnas for the culinary duties, adding that distinctive flair and comforting flavor familiar to all. What about bringing such an experience into a dining establishment?
He employs a team consisting of several older women, featuring his mom’s close pal Roberta (played by Lorraine Bracco), as well as Gia (portrayed by Susan Sarandon), Teresa (acted by Talia Shire), and Antonella (interpreted by Brenda Vaccaro). Strictly speaking, not all of them are actual grandmothers, yet they could be considered grandma-aged individuals.
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, and they are all skilled in the kitchen.)
After prepping the space — Joe’s best bud, Bruno (Joe Manganiello), is a contractor — he opens for business. But it’s far from a runaway success, as Joe faces opposition from his Staten Island neighbors, led by Al (Michael Rispoli), who resents Joe’s outsider status (he hails from Brooklyn), and the fact that he disrespected, in Al’s eyes, the history of a sacred neighborhood landmark.
Joe faces the threat of losing everything, and he requires a miracle to keep his business running. Is he able to find someone who can savor his mouthwatering polpette before time runs out? Could you put it this way perhaps?
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“Nonnas” adheres to a classic underdog narrative and follows predictable plot points as reliably as clockwork. The screenplay by Liz Maccie draws inspiration from the actual establishment known as Enoteca Maria, founded by the real-life Scaravella back in 2007; however, she softens some edges of her tale through overused tropes—a former flame (played by Linda Cardellini) who resurfaces in Joe’s life—and contentious exchanges with municipal officials—elements that lend an air of generic franchise dining rather than capturing the essence of a family-run restaurant.
Director Stephen Chbosky (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Dear Evan Hansen”) lacks the key element needed to transform his work into high-quality fare. While he grasps what gives homemade dishes their charm, he fails to convey this effectively onscreen. What’s lacking is that special individual touch, the personalized flair that could make all the difference.
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That is integrated into each exceptional dish served at home, but he skims over the nitty-gritty details of the everyday tasks involved in managing a restaurant that would make “Nonnas” seem more genuine and less like a fantasy.
Excellent food-centric films, ranging from “Big Night” to “Chef” and even “Ratatouille,” enable audiences to virtually catch the aroma of the cooking delicacies. These movies manage to stimulate both your sensory perceptions and emotional state, making you feel satisfactorily contented after watching them. However, “Nonnas” fails to reach this benchmark. It requires some additional baking time to improve.