John's of 12th Street is the kind of cozy restaurant that you could always depend on for delicious cuisine and perpetual cozy-Sunday-evening atmosphere. The staff is a family to each other; to us they're characters in a sitcom that we're extras in. It's an establishment that teems with personality, the exact type of Classic New York Spot that people lament losing on their Facebook feed. So what better way to cement its place in history than with a movie? Vanessa McDonnell's "John's of 12th Street" does just that, in an observational documentary that captures the essence of what makes John's so damn special.
McDonnell's camera is present from minute-one as the kitchen staff prepares for the day and the manager juggles numerous irritants, from a half-broken front door to an ATM that insists on dialing out every three minutes. Once all is settled, the boss takes a breather and watches the rest of the staff eat breakfast, as if he's their guardian, or making sure they're...
