Plot: After the loss of his mother, a man risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of local grandmothers as the chefs.
Review: What is more comforting than a home-cooked meal made by your grandmother? It is a cliche that holds in the hearts of countless people regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. Good, heartwarming food can be as powerful an emotional trigger as anything. The new Netflix comedy, Nonnas, aims to hit you right in the feels with a sweet, family-friendly comedy about one man’s quest to open a restaurant in honor of his late mother by employing local Italian grandmothers, the titular nonnas, to be the chefs in his Staten Island establishment. With a cast of Italian-Americans evoking a story inspired by the real Enoteca Maria in New York, Nonnas is a safe and formulaic movie perfectly timed to Mother’s Day weekend.
Nonnas opens with the passing of the mother of Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn). Left with his childhood home and a sealed final letter from his mother, Joe wonders what to do with the insurance money left to him. Coming across a restaurant for sale on Staten Island, Joe decides to open a restaurant where he will employ only Italian grandmothers who cook their family recipes, transforming it from a dining establishment into an experience honoring family. Joe enlists his mother’s best friend, Roberta (Lorraine Bracco), a brash Sicilian who immediately clashes with Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro), the neighbor of Joe’s high school sweetheart Olivia (Linda Cardellini). Joe also hires Teresa (Talia Shire), a lapsed nun, and his mom’s friend Gia (Susan Sarandon) as pastry chef. Joe has everything in place with the help of his best pal, contractor Bruno (Joe Manganiello), and his wife Stella (Drea de Matteo).
For the first hour of Nonnas, a lot of time is spent with the conflicting personalities of the elderly chefs who clash over whose dishes should be on the menu. At the same time, Bruno implores Joe to give up his pipedream in light of its cost in everything from construction to the emotional toll on everyone. Joe refuses to give up, and in typical underdog fashion, the nonnas become friends after they get past their initial cliche exteriors and learn who each is. Meanwhile, Joe gets closer to Olivia, whom he stood up to during their senior prom. But, with conflicts rising mildly throughout the entire film, not much really seems like it is going to stop this true story from reaching a happy ending. Sure, there are roadblocks like a grumpy local business owner played by Michael Rispoli and a snooty food critic portrayed by Campbell Scott. Still, none ever feel like they will prevent Enoteca Maria from opening to long-term success. As with any formulaic and safe movie, Nonnas is awash with expected beats and plot turns you have seen many times before. That does not necessarily mean it is bad, just safe.
The biggest miss in Nonnas may be Vince Vaughn, who is in the lead role. While each of the nonnas, notably Lorraine Bracco and Brenda Vaccaro, who seem to be having a blast playing ornery older ladies, gives the film a vigor and energy, Vaughn is unusually calm and subdued in his role. While the credits show the real Jody Scaravella as being very different than how Vince Vaughn plays his fictionalized self, the story allows every other actor in the cast to exude some Italian fire in their condemnation of one another or calling out slights on anyone’s familial heritage. There are a few moments where Vince Vaughn seems like he may pull out some of his signature smart-assery. Still, the film keeps the proceedings overly PG with even some of the mildest profanity replaced by sanitized phrases that even Ned Flanders would think were too much.
Written by Liz Maccie (Siren, A Loud House Christmas), Nonnas is a generic comedy that uses every conceivable Italian-American phrase, reference, and stereotype a dozen times. With a predominantly Italian-American cast, Nonnas repeatedly tries to hit the familiar beats from every underdog sports and family film. Director Stephen Chbosky knows a little about directing heartstring-tugging emotional films, having helmed the 2021 musical Dear Evan Hansen, 2017’s Wonder, and the fan favorite The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on his novel. Chbosky seems a bit above the material with Nonnas as he lends very little energy to the project. He is reverent of the Italian cuisine on screen. He makes sure the movie feels as inclusive for families to watch together, to the point that the film feels offensively inoffensive. With Frank Sinatra playing in the background, copious usages of the word capisce, and so many New York accents, it felt like Mario or Luigi were apt to appear on screen as much as Tony Soprano.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t get teary towards the end for all the generic and cliche elements I found in Nonnas. The saving grace of this movie may be just how nice and sweet it is to see a film with no real villains and just good people who want to be good to one another. It is sometimes nice to just watch something harmless that feels good. Familiar things are sometimes the most inviting, and the highest compliment I can make about Nonnas is that, like your grandmother’s cooking, it will have a more substantial impact on some than on others. Nonnas is a bit too long, as it clocks in at just under two hours, but it will never make you feel bad while watching it. I had hoped Vince Vaughn would have been the highlight of this movie, but Bracco, Sarandon, Shire, and Vacarro steal Nonnas and make it a safe watch with your loved ones.
Source:
JoBlo.com