Danny Aiello and Edoardo Ballerini like spaghetti.

Starring Danny Aiello, Summer Phoenix, and Sandra Bernhard, Dinner Rush is a comedy about food and crime set in a trendy Italian restaurant in TriBeCa. There are as many stories as there are lovable characters, about the egocentric star chef who wants to take over, the waitress who's really an artist, the sous-chef with the gambling problem, and of course Danny Aiello's character, who has to deal with the two goons from Queens who shot his friend and partner. In one heady night, all the stories intertwine, delicious food is served, and a good time is had by all.

Dinner Rush, directed by Bob Giraldi (the man who brought us Michael Jackson's Beat It Video), is certainly a good time. The food looks splendid, the one-liners zing, and the ending is quite satisfying. Nothing is particularly wrong with it, even though the theme music is sometimes a bit heavy-handed. Too bad, then, that it leaves a strange aftertaste. Everything in Dinner Rush feels lightweight, as if might just as well play on television. In fact, it would probably make a great TV show. For the big screen, it's a bit too harmless, too, well, small.

USA, 2000. 106 min.