Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
"Cherry Blossom"
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
Written by Mark Peploe & Bernardo Bertolucci
Music by Ennio Morricone
Cinematography by Vittoria Storaro
Edited by Pietro Scalia
Art Direction by Domenico Sica
Produced by Dino & Giada DeLaurentiis
Main Cast
Robert De Niro - Chef Richard James
Milo Ventimiglia - Nick James
Eva Green - Rachel
Famke Janssen - Vera Rivers
Stanley Tucci - Stephon Lamacq
Tony Roberts - Eugene Yves
Tagline: "Dying at the height of beauty"
Synopsis: The secret to the cherry blossom truffle is not the cocoa powder or succulent cherry filling, but rather a touch of a fine Pinot noir wine and a pinch of saffron. Renowned New York Chef, Richard James (Robert De Niro) always gave his son, Nick (Milo Ventimiglia), the secrets to his success. He knew someday Nick would take over the reigns of an empire he built; from restaurants, pubs, to local Brooklyn candy shops, the Richard James dining experience was one to behold by all.
As an often timid sous chef in his father's fine-dining restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel, Nick would not only watch his father's brilliance at running a kitchen, but see the deterioration and dark side of a man. His abusive shouting frightened everyone in the kitchen. The public fights with his aged supermodel girlfriend, Vera Rivers (Famke Janssen), were tabloid gold. His father lived with high standards and when the world around him could not live up to them, he would lash out, or crumble inside a dark closet where he would abuse his body by raiding his million dollar wine collection. It wouldn't be long for the unthinkable to happen. His father was to embark on yet another massive project. To open up a highly rated restaurant in the heart of Florence, Italy, which would give him the world-wide recognition. He even invited feared Michelin Food Critic and personal nemesis, Stephon Lamacq (Stanley Tucci) to the grand opening. But the chef's plane took off from New York without him, leaving his son, Nick, to be lambasted by the unpleased critic. Chef Richard James had gone missing. His shiny Porsche was abandoned a block away from the Hell Gate Bridge, a notorious suicide spot. No body was found or evidence of foul play. He was simply gone.
Seven years later, family friend and private investigator, Eugene Yves (Tony Roberts), strongly suggested Nick close the file on his father's missing person's case. Nick was lost and couldn't commit to anything, even his girlfriend, Rachel (Eva Green). He had to move on and step out of his father's shadow, and by closing the case, he could; topping his father's successes and recognition in the restaurant world, even touring third world countries to help feed the starving. On a trip to Uganda, he thought he had seen a ghost. An elderly American man working a soup kitchen outside a small village. This man though, remained just a familiar blur, as Nick was swept out of town by his military escort, when tribal warfare had erupted nearby. This will not be the last time he sees this person. And with that heavy heart and his father haunting his thoughts again, Nick sets out to do what his father couldn't. An engagement ring awaits the finger of Rachel, while the people of Florence await the re-opening of a top-rated restaurant. The grand re-opening promises not just to surprise skeptical food critics, but Nick himself, for he will finally get a chance to bring closure to his past and please the only critic that ever mattered to him.
What the Press would say:
Oscar-winning director, Bernardo Bertolucci presents his most personal and cerebral film since "The Last Emperor" with, "Cherry Blossom". On the surface, "Cherry Blossom" is about a father who disappears leaving his fortune, fame and family. While seemingly a selfish act, the father's abandonment, whether it be death or personal exile from a life he once had, is really a sacrifice. He can only leave that life behind to battle his own personal demons, in turn creating a legacy and life for his son that he truly wanted. Robert De Niro dives deep into a role that challenges his internal and external emotions. Meticulous in his performance as an actual chef, shows in the opening five minute one shot take of him preparing a fine cuisine from furious knife skills of chopping vegatables to the presentation of a barrage of delicious entrees. He takes on cooking as he takes on his roles, and that is with the perfection we love him for. But with an admired character, Bertolucci isn't afraid to show the dark side of every human, including his main lead character. De Niro's Chef Richard James is too passionate for his own good and he is left with an uncontrollable temper that always gets this best of him. Famke Janssen takes the brunt of this anger in the role of De Niro's hard-to-please celebrity girlfriend, Vera Rivers. As she more or less asks for a fight, pushing De Niro's chef into deeper madness, along with the oddity performance that is brought out in Stanley Tucci as food critic Stephon Lamacq who presents a constant irritation to Chef James. His only salvation is his son, played by Milo Ventimiglia in a defining role.
Bertolucci and co-writer Mark Peploe's cherry blossom metaphor of heightened beauty that dies at it's peak, sacrificing itself for eternal greatness, is a beautiful theme of life and death at it's truest form. Within the heartbreaking final scene, where a stranger speaks only these words in a toast to the couple at the wedding reception of the new Italian resturant, "...the Japanese Samurai believed the cherry blossom tree represented great sacrifice. As soon as they blossomed, the petals would fall retaining it's beauty forever. So God bless you two, forever." And in that instance, through those words, Nick is reunited with his father forever, maybe not physically but in his heart. This is a film that will tug at the father and son relationship in a way not yet brought to screen. A film that sets itself apart by dazzling us with it's developed characters, their actions and ultimately their consequences. An inspiring original masterpiece on all fronts that cannot be missed.
Best Picture
Best Director - Bernardo Bertolucci
Best Actor - Robert De Niro
Best Supporting Actor - Stanley Tucci
Best Supporting Actress - Famke Janssen
Best Original Screenplay - Mark Peploe & Bernardo Bertolucci
Best Cinematography - Vittorio Storaro
Best Editing - Pietro Scalia
Best Score - Ennio Morricone
Best Original Song - "Requiem for the Cherry Blossom" by Ryuichi Sakamato
Best Art Direction - Domenico Sica
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