Nonnas Review
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Date Created: 2025-05-09 16:07
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Nonnas Review: Directed by Stephen Chbosky, this is a heartwarming film based on the life of Joe Scaravella, a man who wound up cooking after his mother passed away. Vince Vaughn plays the role of Joe, alongside Susan Sarandon as Gia, Lorraine Bracco as Roberta, Talia Shire as Teresa, Brenda Vaccaro as Antonella, Linda Cardellini as Olivia, Drea de Matteo as Stella, Joe Manganiello as Bruno, Michael Rispoli as Al, Campbell Scott as Edward Durant and others. Â From the trailer this movie feels like it is going to be about food, but in reality, it’s much more than that; it is one about people, loss, and the power of holding folks together through cooking.
Nonnas Review
I was really interested in Joe’s character right from the start. He is not a perfect man, but that is what makes him human. When his mother dies, Joe does not grieve, instead, he sets out to find a means of getting close to her again. And that means, for Joe, is food. What I liked best was how the film explained that sensation most of us have at some point or another: missing someone so intensely that you try to recreate their presence in smells, sounds, or tastes. Joe did not miss his mum, but he misses the feeling how she used to cook and how they were together.
Rather than doing some reasonable things with his mother’s insurance payout, he purchases a faltering bar and sets about transforming it into a restaurant. But not an ordinary restaurant, this restaurant is staffed by grandmothers from all over the world. That is sweet in itself, and that is where the movie clicks.
The movie Nonnas provides us with four nonnas who not only bring their recipes, but their baggage, their secrets, and their strength to the kitchen. My favourite moment of the movie was seeing how these older women, who each had their own story and their own way of cooking, learned to work together in spite of their differences. The movie doesn’t pull its punches when it shows their flaws, for which I was grateful. These women aren’t aproned, saccharine little grandmothers-they’re living, breathing individuals who’ve led long, multifaceted lives.
There are also instances of competition, confusion, and even chaos in the kitchen. But what actually drew me in was how these women learned to trust one another over time. Their story is not just about cooking dinners; it’s about healing old wounds, discovering new meaning, and discovering that it’s never too late to begin again.
Joe’s character growth is subtle but potent. At first, I felt he was irresponsibly attempting to open a restaurant without any experience. But as the movie went on, I was rooting for him in his subdued determination. He is not in it for the money or accolades, he just wants to give people something worth giving. That integrity is what made me root for him, particularly during the bad times when the restaurant was struggling to get bodies in.
The lowest part of the film Nonnas is when Joe is considering throwing in the towel. This was the part that resonated with me. Being someone who has experienced personal failures myself, I could sense the burden of disappointment on his shoulders. But just when all seems lost, there is a twist of the plot that saves the story. The twist is credible and satisfying without being melodramatic or contrived.
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Another wonderful scene is when Joe reads his deceased mother’s letter. It’s a small, but moving moment. How it comes together with the food, the recipes, and the childhood, made me cry. I thought of how the people that we love, they don’t really leave us, they’re with us through the little things that we hold on to.
If I had to nitpick, I would say I wanted more from the nonnas about their private lives outside the kitchen. Their lives were so rich that a couple of additional scenes would have made them all the more endearing. Also, the romance subplot between Olivia and Joe, while cute, wasn’t fleshed out to the extent that it could have been. I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of their relationship grow.
Summing Up
Netflix’s Nonnas is the kind of movie that makes you reach for the phone to call your grandmother, hug your parents, or cook up an old family recipe. It is warm, thoughtful, and dotted with little life lessons between the pasta courses and sappy dialogue. What I loved best about it was how it honoured growing old, not something to be dreaded, but something that is full of jokes, wisdom, and continued evolution.
Nonnas 2025 is now streaming on Netflix.
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