Nonnas - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

THIS had all the ingredients to go wrong: over-cooked emotions, sickly sweet romance and schmaltz and half-baked performances. But Nonnas rises above the potential pitfalls of its genre to emerge as a genuinely tasty, uplifting treat.

Based on a true story, the story essentially follows a grieving son, Joe (Vince Vaughn), who decides to open an Italian eaterie with grandmothers in the kitchen, in a bid to provide customers with a more homely, heartfelt dining experience reminiscent of bygone generations.

He begins by enlisting his late mother’s longtime best friend (Lorraine Bracco) and then, through an ad on Craigslist, finds two more kitchen veterans (Brenda Vaccaro and Talia Shire), before completing the ensemble with another of his mother’s friends, a hairdresser (Susan Sarandon).

There’s also support from his life-long best friend and ‘brother’, Bruno (Joe Manganiello), who helps with the refurb, and his wife, Stella (Drea de Matteo), who wants nothing more than to see Joe happy.

As an aside, Joe’s venture also offers him the chance to rekindle a romance with his former high school sweetheart Olivia (Linda Cardellini), the widowed daughter of one of the Nonnas.

Directed by Stephen Chbosky from a script by Liz Maccie, Nonnas serves as equal parts celebration of family, friendship and food, as well as a thoughtful and frequently poignant meditation on grief, loss and missed opportunity. It strikes a nice balance between both.

And while the story itself carries a certain predictability to it, with the odd groan inducing scene, the performances are such (and the writing so generally respectful and restrained) that you’ll still be holding your breath and rooting for the characters at the key moments.

Vaughn delivers an understated performance, filled with grief and decency; while the Nonnas are equally parts feisty (in the classic Italian matriarch sense) and wise, not to mention caring. Chbosky - just as he did with The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - gives all room to shine and doesn’t allow the film to descend into tired cliché or patronising ableism.

Rather, he allows room for their grief to feel authentic and suitably complex, which makes their successes in overcoming it all the more emotional. Indeed, Maccie's script holds some wry observations about the nature of grief, and how it is complex and individual to all who experience it, that really strike close to the heart. It allows the film to be both moving and profound at times.

There’s also a wonderful scene between the Nonnas as they bond over hair styling and Limoncello, during which they talk about past mistakes and regrets, that plays to each star’s strengths - again, without feeling contrived or overly manipulative.

While the friendship between Vaughn and Manganiello is also nicely played - by turns volatile (given the moneys involved) and mutually respectful.

Such is the chemistry between this ensemble, that relationships feel genuine, rather than forced.

As you would expect, Chbosky also allows for some delicious scenes involving food, which will send the mouths watering of any viewer who has an appreciation for Italian food. One good tip, therefore, is to either eat well beforehand or to have a good restaurant booked afterwards!

Nonnas offers a veritable feast of emotions and performances that leave you feeling extremely satisfied. It’s so very tastefully done.