Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven

Times Are Changing: A Legendary Eatery Forges Into A New Business Climate
Director Andrew Rossi's documentary of the legendary restaurant Le Cirque and its founder Sirio Maccioni is a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of both a famed institution and a family legacy. From humble beginnings, Maccioni created a culinary empire that became synonymous with celebrity and decadence in its heyday. But as times changed and the clientele evolved, the Maccioni family had no choice but to look toward the future. Rossi has an intimate and all-access approach in "Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven" and it is this closeness that really distinguishes the piece. The film charts Le Cirque as the original location shuts its doors in 2004 and its new location opens up two years afterwards. But in addition to giving you great insight into the restaurant business, the movie is also very much a story of family. The Le Cirque brand includes and employs Maccioni's three sons and much of the story's drama and tension builds from the literal passing of the torch between...

More about "family issues" than food, this engaging film could be subtitled "My Three Sons".
I usually review music and entertainment items on Amazon but - when something catches my eye outside that arena - I often review those releases. This is one of those cases.

This has been an "Andrew Rossi Film Festival" week for me. Two days ago I watched - and reviewed here on Amazon - his latest film: "Page One" about the New York Times and the effect of digital media on the printed newspaper. Then yesterday I got Rossi's previous directing effort: Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven" which he made on 2008. Both are excellent.

I won't go into the details of the film since fellow reviewer KG Harris has already done a fine job of that. But I'll add a few more insights, that I hope will be helpful.

This film was produced by the HBO Documentary division of HBO Films and is being distributed on DVD by First Run Features - which has, over the last few years, created a niche in "foodie films" - "Kings of Pastry", " Guy Martin" and even "Dive!" (About dumpster...



Click to Editorial Reviews