Restaurant (1998)

Chris (Adrien Brody), an aspiring playwright, pays the bills as a bartender at an upscale New York restaurant and pours his frustrations into his work. Jeanine (Elise Neal), an aspiring singer from a musical family, is the newest waitress on the staff. He's Italian American and she's African American, but the chemistry is there. All that stands between them is Chris's unresolved feelings for his ex (pop star Lauryn Hill in a cameo), the reverberations of his blue-collar father's dinner-table racism, and the unspoken and usually ignored but unavoidable issue of race. Eric Bross (Ten Benny, also with Brody) has a light touch with his ensemble cast--which also features Malcolm-Jamal Warner as a well-spoken law student and Jesse L. Martin of TV's Law and Order as a philosophical line cook--and the thoughtful script. The issues simmer below the surface of the individual dramas, romantic complications, and personal struggles with self-esteem and responsibility that buzz through the restaurant, finally boiling over in a raw but dramatically restrained finale. Much of the drama floats between clear-eyed honesty and hip glibness, but Bross and his cast anchor the drama in vivid, complicated characters who bring the film to life. Restaurant, which sat on the shelf before receiving a short theatrical run, is no Do The Right Thing, but in its own respectful way manages to cast a fresh look at race relations. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Eh, not what I expected.

It was not horrible, but this movie was really cheesy and had no substantial plot. I was rather disappointed. It was worth seeing but only if you get it for a very low price or catch it on t.v. December 31, 2007

....boring

This movie was very boring and I dint follow the plot at all. I love seeing white men and black women together thats the main reason I watched it. September 26, 2007

Surprisingly Good

Bought for only $1.00 at Wal-Mart. Was expecting a poorly made independent film, but was pleasantly surprised by this film. Part romance, mix in a little comedy, a little racial tension and a stellar cast, and you get a good story that is completely watchable and believable. I especially like that the movie ended with the romantic leads going their separate ways, possibly to reunite later. Added a realistic touch.

This was probably the movie before some of these actors hit the big time. Nicely done. May 7, 2007

Missing something, bu not star power!

This movie was editted, but I got the jest of the director's point of view. The movie centers around Adrien Body's character who has just been dumped. He is a beginning screenplay writer who works at a restaurant to pay the bills until he is successful. All the character's work at the restaurant. They vary in races and the premise is how they get along with each other.

They movie is okay. I love Adrien Brody, so it was no big deal to watch him. He is a great actor and this role fit him. Elise Neal did a great job as a aspiring singer and his love interest. They movie was good, but not great. It lacked something, that I can' quite put my finger on. It had enough stars with Simon Baker, Lauryn Hill, Brody, and Neal, but something was missing. It is a movie I will watch again. April 6, 2007

Restaurant

This heart-wrenching drama focuses on aspiring writer Chris Calloway, played soulfully by Adrien Brody. His past love with an African-American women, played by the exquisitely beautiful Lauryn Hill, haunts his present life, interfering with his artistic creativity, friendships, and current lover. Shadows of racism hinder his ability to truthfully love, truthfully write, and truthfully live.

As we watch Chris and his friends pinball between the things they want to do, and the things they need to do, we begin to relive our own painful experiences in the field of love.

Tensions rise as Chris grasps to make decisions that will forever affect his happiness, for better, and for worse.

Adrien Brody, Elise Neal, Simon Baker, & Lauryn Hill give memorable performances. August 16, 2003

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