One of the great things about the Italians is they know how to stop time when it comes to eating. Meals typically take three to four hours, starting first with an appetizer like an antipasto, followed by a hearty soup, a decent salad, the primi usually some kind of pasta, the secondi which is your main course and then a light dessert of maybe cheese, cookies and fruit because frankly, who can move after all of that?

I mention this because my last movie experience felt exactly the same way. The first, yes first, red carpet event of the night was quite appetizing. Director Kirk Jones, who did Waking Ned Devine, was happy to introduce his first US project Everybody’s Fine. A painfully beautiful look into the machinations of an every day family and how surviving members struggle to close the gaps after an unexpected loss. Heavy hitting cast members Drew Barrymore and Kate Beckinsale who played sisters, were dazzling. Once inside, Jones introduced these sisters as his sisters followed by an, “I wish!” Yeah, don’t we all? As expected a standing ovation for the incomparable Robert De Niro took several minutes before coming to a close. De Niro, who was more forthcoming than in interviews, gave high praise to his “daughters” and to Jones. Speaking to Jones’ passion and intelligence, De Niro said his decision to sign on was an easy one.

Everybody’s Fine was certainly the entrée of the night. It filled you with emotion so intense that all you wanted to do was take a nap to recuperate. Jones slipped in such quiet moments of Americana they were almost subliminal. The b-roll of the 9-11 make shift memorial and the passage of a soldier in his fatigues were subtle glimpses that carried a wallop of emotion powerful enough to feel like a kick in the gut. On the other hand, these moments layered the film in a devastating way. The result being a depth of perception we don’t often see in American films.

After such a satisfying cinematic experience, I was reluctant to have dessert. But if you’ve ever seen me leave a room, you’ve probably assumed, discipline isn’t my strong suit. “Just a little something sweet to balance out the entrée,” I tell myself and this night was no exception.

I marched outside and back on line for the next feature called Youth In Revolt starring Michael Cera (Juno) directed by Miquel Arteta (TV’s Ugly Betty, The Office, etc.) . Make no mistake this film was also heavy with decadent writing that kept the house in face-hurting, belly-aching, non-stop laughter. This wasn’t some empty little tart of a feature, this was a full blown, out-of-control, over-the-top-Ace Of Cakes, imagination-on-sarcastic-fire, diabetic nightmare that rounded out the emotional heavyweights of the previous film with quick witted pith sayings that stabbed their victims as swiftly as a cake knife at a ‘first’ wedding.

It was the first comedy I’ve seen in years that had me laughing as much as the previous film had me crying. While its not my usual thing to blatantly endorse films with such conviction, I just can’t help but invite anyone and everyone to the feast. Mangia!