Nonnas movie review: Netflix cooks up flavourless fusion of Kal Ho Naa Ho’s Jaya Bachchan storyline and Vince Vaughn’s charm

Perhaps as an excuse to hold on to his past but also take baby steps towards an uncertain future, he spends all of his inheritance on purchasing a ramshackle spot in New Jersey. Joined by his best friend Bruno, played by Joe Manganiello, Joey sets about renovating the place and turning it into a warm Italian restaurant where the local community can enjoy home-style meals. His winning idea is to hire grandmothers, or ‘nonnas’, as the chefs. The movie hits all the beats you’d expect, and adheres to genre conventions with the dedication of a line cook at McDonald’s following the SOPs.

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Vince Vaughn in a still from Nonnas.

While Joey deals with many of the same traumas and tribulations as Carmy from The Bear, the film couldn’t be more different from that show. While The Bear is a boundary-pushing blast of originality, Nonnas is like a home-cooked meal; comforting and familiar. For some audiences, this would be completely satisfying. But those looking for a more adventurous experience might leave feeling unstimulated. Chbosky gets the cast to dial their performances up to 11; the ‘nonnas’ are played by legendary stars Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas), Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Talia Shire (The Godfather) and Brenda Vaccaro (Midnight Cowboy). They’re given their own arcs, but these characters are about as thin as a ginger julienne.

If you squint hard enough, the entire plot of Nonnas can be compared to the Jaya Bachchan storyline in Kal Ho Naa Ho, in which Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘farishta’ helps a group of Indian women set up a restaurant in New York City. You’ll find that most of that film’s characters have counterparts in Nonnas; for instance, Sarandon’s character, a pastry specialist, is a lot like Lillete Dubey’s character from Kal Ho Naa Ho. There are, of course, emotional overlaps between the two movies as well. But enough has been said about the shared cultural idiosyncrasies of Indians and Italians.

This might be a curious observation, but the food itself isn’t given much respect in the movie. The ‘nonnas’ speak about their signature canolis and capuzzelles, but barring a few stray shots, we don’t really see the dishes in their full glory. Remember how Jon Favreau filmed Cuban sandwiches in Chef? Or how memorable the omelette in the final of Big Night was? Speaking of that all-time classic — Big Night is perhaps the single greatest food movie ever made — Nonnas makes a reference to it by getting one of its co-directors, Campbell Scott, to make a cameo. He plays a food critic who shows up in the third act.

But Joey doesn’t need the validation of the press; what he needs is the support of the community. And, for a while, they have their reasons to doubt him. But there is no such thing as an obstacle in a movie like this. Either through blind chance or sheer luck, Joey jumps over every hurdle that Liz Maccie’s screenplay throws in his way. For 50 years, people looked at him with pity, but all he needed was to find his calling.

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In movies like this, cuisine is a conduit to character development. Joey comes to terms with his mother’s death; he develops a bond with the locals, and generates employment for women who’d been put to pasture. And despite Vaughn’s uncharacteristically one-note performance, some of his irrepressible charm seeps through. We even get a break-up of sorts, but not the kind you’d expect. That being said, it’s unclear who this movie is meant for. Perhaps middle-aged men and women of Joey’s age, or audiences looking to relax after a long day at work? Or maybe it’s targeted at the folks who enjoyed The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its equally well-made sequel. For them, Nonnas will be no less empowering as a superhero movie is for teenage boys.

Nonnas
Director – Stephen Chbosky
Cast – Vince Vaughn, Linda Cardellini, Joe Manganiello, Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Lorraine Bracco, Drea De Mateo, Brenda Vaccaro
Rating – 2.5/5