A TABLE IN HEAVEN (Andrew Rossi). 78 minutes. Screens Wednesday (December 5) at the Bloor. Rating: NNN
Le Cirque was the place to see and be seen for more than two decades, a New York landmark that served kings and kingmakers. Central to its drawing power was owner Sirio Maccioni , an Italian immigrant who started as a busboy and now gets his restaurant blessed by a cardinal. Director Andrew Rossi captures the run-up to Le Cirque 3.0 in this bittersweet documentary.
For a film about a restaurant, there’s surprisingly little focus on food. Sirio’s three sons, Mario , Marco and Mauro , are the appetizers the old man is the main course. But Sirio doesn’t want to hear that the new glitterati prefer amuse-bouches to meat and veg. Rossi gets intimate access to the family squabbles as the boys try to get their dad to grow with the times.
Interspersed with the spats that you suspect are held in check by the camera is old footage of the original Le Cirque’s heyday. Sadly, comparing the old clips with the sea of white hair that shows up for the grand opening just proves the sons are right.
It may be great to have Henry Kissinger advise you on your business, but even he will die someday. And who will take his place?
