Diner

Directed by Barry Levinson, Diner follows several friends, including Mickey Rourke’s Boogie, Kevin Bacon’s Fenwick, and Paul Reiser’s Modell, as they reunite in the final days of 1959. Filmmaker Levinson, armed with his own screenplay, delivers an easygoing, persistently episodic drama that benefits from the captivating work of its various performers, and it’s clear, certainly, that the top-notch efforts of folks like Steve Guttenberg and Ellen Barkin, in addition to the aforementioned actors, goes a long way towards sustaining the viewer’s interest even through the narrative’s less-than-spellbinding stretches. There’s little doubt, as well, that the irresistibly authentic atmosphere and proliferation of thoroughly agreeable interludes (eg Modell and Guttenberg’s Eddie argue over a sandwich) contribute heavily to Diner‘s ultimate success, while the impressive level of character development across the board ensures that the picture grows more and more absorbing as it unfolds – which, when coupled with a terrific, almost note-perfect finale, cements the movie’s place as a superb debut for Levinson.

***1/2 out of ****