Nonnas: A Heavy Hitter Led Formulaic Heartwarmer (Early Review)

Nonnas is a true story based on the life of Joe Scaravella, the owner of Staten Island restaurant “Enoteca Maria”, where grandmothers (aka nonnas) are invited to work as chefs instead of a traditional cooking staff.  The film follows Joe (Vaughn) who, following the loss of his mother, decides to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of local grandmothers including Gia (Sarandon), Roberta (Bracco), Teresa (Talia Shire) and Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro) as the chefs. Featuring a highly talented cast, a heartfelt true story at its core, and a well respected director in Stephen Chbosky at the helm, the film has plenty of potential behind it. However, the end result is a little lightweight and formulaic effort that, while watchable, is geared primarily towards a clear target audience that will undoubtedly eat it up (pun intended).

Now it should come as no surprise that Nonnas’ impressive cast lead the way and are easily the best part of the film. Meanwhile, Joe is a role perfectly tailored to Vaughn, as he gets to show off more of his dramatic chops while still being very funny and quick witted. A likeable lead, he is one of the rare actors who can find great chemistry with virtually anyone, and in the case of this cast, this is no exception. The titular nonnas themselves are the best thing, if only for the legendary grouping of Sarandon, Shire, Bracco, and Vaccaro all have fun and clearly enjoy interacting with one other on screen.

That being said, it is hard to pick a standout here because everyone is so great, but it might just be Bracco who gets a lot of the best material, as Roberta. Outside of the main players, Chbosky has put together a fantastic supporting cast with the likes of Joe Manganiello and Michael Rispoli making the most out of their limited screen time as Bruno and Al respectively. Above all else, Nonnas is as much of a cooking show as it is a film, but that isn’t arguably a bad thing as a lot of the food shown on screen looks absolutely delicious. In the end, it is hard to be too down on a film as wholesome as this, and like his best work, he injects a signature heart into it.

While the films lacks much in the way of glaring issues, it makes for a passable entry that one can throw on and then forget soon after the credits roll. One of those issues is its inability to maintain a consistent tone, struggling keeping a balance between its silly comedy and heavier drama in what was a miss for Chbosky. In terms of humor, it is more geared at older audiences, so their impact will clearly be divisive, with much of it falling flat regardless. Though the film also suffers from some poor pacing, perhaps its biggest failure is its wasting of Linda Cardellini. As Olivia, she is relegated to a throwaway role that barely scratches the surface of her underrated talent.

At the end of the day, Nonnas may not be anything to write home about or near the career highlight for all involved, but, for the most part, it is a fine enough watch. Though worth watching for its cast and heartwarming true story source material, it is a film that still could have been a lot better and less forgettable coming from a director as gifted as Stephen Chbosky. Geared towards older audiences and grandmas (or nonnas) particularly, they should be pleased them which, in the end, is all that matters.

Score: 55/100

still courtesy of Netflix

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/