Feast of Love
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Movie Reviews of Feast of Love
Movie Review: Feast For The Eyes
Summary: 4 Stars
Several domestic sub-plots follow our hero's main plot.
This is one of those rare films were every actress (individually) takes her clothes off "because the part called for it, and it was done in an artistic manner". Okay, whatever.
And, the plots on the whole, tend to be interesting.
Domestic drama is not my cup of tea, but you can't go wrong visually with this film.
Movie Review: "Feast" Needs Some More Courses
Summary: 3 Stars
Once again Morgan Freeman plays the wise, old sage in the cast. At this point, he has played a similar variation of this role so many times I think he should get a patent. Anytime someone wants this type of character in their film, they should only get Freeman to play the role, or pay him a royalty.
That said, Professor Stevenson, the narrator and guide through "Feast of Love", Robert Benton's ("Nobody's Fool") newest film is an interesting character. His narration while helpful is also problematic, serving to draw us out of the film and remind us of how episodic the story is, constantly reminding us of the book the film is based on.
Stevenson seems to have a lot of time on his hands and roams the Portland, Oregon neighborhood where he and his wife (Jane Alexander) live. He spends time at the local coffee shop, Jitters, owned by Bradley (Greg Kinnear) and staffed by Oscar (Toby Hemmingway). Stevenson watches as Bradley and Oscar fall in love, break-up and then fall in love again. As their circle of people grows, Stevenson becomes a member of this larger group. He returns home each day to relate the day's events to his wife. Stevenson is on a leave from the local university and seems determined to delay his return, as he deals with the grief of his adult son's death.
I wouldn't mind Stevenson's wise words and his sage advice nearly as much if he only discussed these moments with people. When Freeman starts to narrate the character's thoughts and feelings, he becomes too obtrusive into our interaction with the film. Also, these moments of narration are used to try to hide the episodic nature of the story. As soon as he relates an event in Bradley's live, we see an event in Oscar's life, and back and forth.
Freeman is, as always, good. It's just too bad his performance is so familiar.
Bradley, played by Greg Kinnear, is a bit too clueless to be likable. Initially, our interest is held as Stevenson wisely observes his relationship with his wife, Kathryn (Selma Blair). Just finished with a softball game, the Professor joins the younger couple at a local bar where Kathryn talks with Jenny (Stanza Katic), one of the players from the other female team. They form a friendship and Jenny recognizes Kathryn is interested in becoming more than just friends. Bradley is so clueless; he doesn't realize there is a problem until Kathryn is walking out of their house. Of course, Stevenson knows right away and tells his wife about what Bradley will soon discover.
Bradley decides to move, for a change of pace. His realtor, Diana (Radha Mitchell) shows him a house right next to Stevenson and he decides to take it. He also falls in love with Diana, who is a bit hurt her boyfriend, David (Billy Burke) won't leave his wife, relegating their relationship to torrid meetings in hotel rooms during lunch.
Oscar (Toby Hemingway), a young, blond, spiky haired guy with tattoos, seems to really enjoy his job at Jitters. One day, Chloe (Alexa Davalos) walks in looking for a job. He immediately agrees they need the help and Bradley gets the hint. Soon, Oscar and Chloe are in love and their story is, by far, the most romantic. But it also has a few plot contrivances more suited to an afternoon soap opera.
It seems odd to me that Stevenson and his wife, Esther (Alexander) don't interact with the other characters in the film more frequently, making them seem a bit disconnected, further reinforcing the strange feel of the narration. About halfway through, Esther and the Professor have wine with Bradley and Diana and start to participate with the others, making the film seem a little more real.
Benton is a very good director and he achieves a lot of visual moments that really speak volumes about the relationship between these characters. When Esther walks into her husband's home office, she notices he is working on his computer. "This is a welcome sight," she says. She soon learns he is writing a letter to the dean of his school extending his leave indefinitely. This is upsetting to her, but rather than start screaming, she pauses a moment and leaves the office, slamming the door. Stevenson pauses, without looking at the door. This is a telling moment, accurately reflecting the depth and length of their relationship.
Stevenson and Esther do a lot of observing when they are with the younger couples. Over their wine, the younger couple says things causing the older couple to pause. Later, they discuss the events amongst themselves. If they did this once or twice, it would be amusing and even interesting, but because it happens often, it seems as though this couple are supposed to be our guide into the lives of these characters. That's fine, too. But because they sit and watch so much, it makes them passive observers. Since we are sitting and watching a film, we are already a passive observer. What makes a film great is when you feel you are part of the story, the action, and the character's lives.
Fred Ward plays Bat, Oscar's abusive father. He only has a couple of scenes and in each he is drunk and over the top, so he fits the bill. But because he has no development, his character seems odd and since he really has no overall place in the story, his appearances only briefly make Oscar apprehensive. He really adds nothing to the story.
These complaints aside, the story about Oscar and Chloe really saves the film. From the moments Oscar spots Chloe, you can see the hunger in his eyes. As their relationship progresses, you believe they have each found their soul mate and are deeply in love. We learn things about their past and watch some of the decisions they make and this helps to make them more real. It doesn't hurt that Toby Hemingway and Alexa Davalos are both very good looking and create a lot of onscreen chemistry.
"Feast of Love" is clearly designed as a portrait of three different generations in love, and it works to a certain degree. But the strange choice of narrative device does nothing but serve to take us out of the film, make us a passive observer, and consistently remind us of the book the film was adapted from. Rather then embracing the characters and their lives, it seems as though the filmmakers want to keep us at arm's length from them.
Movie Review: "Feast" of Characters Is Ruined By Strange Narrative Device
Summary: 3 Stars
Once again Morgan Freeman plays the wise, old sage in the cast. At this point, he has played a similar variation of this role so many times I think he should get a patent. Anytime someone wants this type of character in their film, they should only get Freeman to play the role, or pay him a royalty.
That said, Professor Stevenson, the narrator and guide through "Feast of Love", Robert Benton's ("Nobody's Fool") newest film is an interesting character. His narration while helpful is also problematic, serving to draw us out of the film and remind us of how episodic the story is, constantly reminding us of the book the film is based on.
Stevenson seems to have a lot of time on his hands and roams the Portland, Oregon neighborhood where he and his wife (Jane Alexander) live. He spends time at the local coffee shop, Jitters, owned by Bradley (Greg Kinnear) and staffed by Oscar (Toby Hemmingway). Stevenson watches as Bradley and Oscar fall in love, break-up and then fall in love again. As their circle of people grows, Stevenson becomes a member of this larger group. He returns home each day to relate the day's events to his wife. Stevenson is on a leave from the local university and seems determined to delay his return, as he deals with the grief of his adult son's death.
I wouldn't mind Stevenson's wise words and his sage advice nearly as much if he only discussed these moments with people. When Freeman starts to narrate the character's thoughts and feelings, he becomes too obtrusive into our interaction with the film. Also, these moments of narration are used to try to hide the episodic nature of the story. As soon as he relates an event in Bradley's live, we see an event in Oscar's life, and back and forth.
Freeman is, as always, good. It's just too bad his performance is so familiar.
Bradley, played by Greg Kinnear, is a bit too clueless to be likable. Initially, our interest is held as Stevenson wisely observes his relationship with his wife, Kathryn (Selma Blair). Just finished with a softball game, the Professor joins the younger couple at a local bar where Kathryn talks with Jenny (Stanza Katic), one of the players from the other female team. They form a friendship and Jenny recognizes Kathryn is interested in becoming more than just friends. Bradley is so clueless; he doesn't realize there is a problem until Kathryn is walking out of their house. Of course, Stevenson knows right away and tells his wife about what Bradley will soon discover.
Bradley decides to move, for a change of pace. His realtor, Diana (Radha Mitchell) shows him a house right next to Stevenson and he decides to take it. He also falls in love with Diana, who is a bit hurt her boyfriend, David (Billy Burke) won't leave his wife, relegating their relationship to torrid meetings in hotel rooms during lunch.
Oscar (Toby Hemingway), a young, blond, spiky haired guy with tattoos, seems to really enjoy his job at Jitters. One day, Chloe (Alexa Davalos) walks in looking for a job. He immediately agrees they need the help and Bradley gets the hint. Soon, Oscar and Chloe are in love and their story is, by far, the most romantic. But it also has a few plot contrivances more suited to an afternoon soap opera.
It seems odd to me that Stevenson and his wife, Esther (Alexander) don't interact with the other characters in the film more frequently, making them seem a bit disconnected, further reinforcing the strange feel of the narration. About halfway through, Esther and the Professor have wine with Bradley and Diana and start to participate with the others, making the film seem a little more real.
Benton is a very good director and he achieves a lot of visual moments that really speak volumes about the relationship between these characters. When Esther walks into her husband's home office, she notices he is working on his computer. "This is a welcome sight," she says. She soon learns he is writing a letter to the dean of his school extending his leave indefinitely. This is upsetting to her, but rather than start screaming, she pauses a moment and leaves the office, slamming the door. Stevenson pauses, without looking at the door. This is a telling moment, accurately reflecting the depth and length of their relationship.
Stevenson and Esther do a lot of observing when they are with the younger couples. Over their wine, the younger couple says things causing the older couple to pause. Later, they discuss the events amongst themselves. If they did this once or twice, it would be amusing and even interesting, but because it happens often, it seems as though this couple are supposed to be our guide into the lives of these characters. That's fine, too. But because they sit and watch so much, it makes them passive observers. Since we are sitting and watching a film, we are already a passive observer. What makes a film great is when you feel you are part of the story, the action, and the character's lives.
Fred Ward plays Bat, Oscar's abusive father. He only has a couple of scenes and in each he is drunk and over the top, so he fits the bill. But because he has no development, his character seems odd and since he really has no overall place in the story, his appearances only briefly make Oscar apprehensive. He really adds nothing to the story.
These complaints aside, the story about Oscar and Chloe really saves the film. From the moments Oscar spots Chloe, you can see the hunger in his eyes. As their relationship progresses, you believe they have each found their soul mate and are deeply in love. We learn things about their past and watch some of the decisions they make and this helps to make them more real. It doesn't hurt that Toby Hemingway and Alexa Davalos are both very good looking and create a lot of onscreen chemistry.
"Feast of Love" is clearly designed as a portrait of three different generations in love, and it works to a certain degree. But the strange choice of narrative device does nothing but serve to take us out of the film, make us a passive observer, and consistently remind us of the book the film was adapted from. Rather then embracing the characters and their lives, it seems as though the filmmakers want to keep us at arm's length from them.
Movie Review: Slick, Superficial, But a Great Cast!
Summary: 3 Stars
I enjoyed Robert Benton's generational romance, "Feast of Love", but I couldn't help wondering, while watching it, on what planet this story takes place...every woman who appears is gorgeous, and ready to hop into bed, houses to buy are affordable, even for kids (and very easy to find), college professors earn enough to take sabbaticals that never end, and can sit in coffee shops forever...and, with the exception of a nearly caricatured abusive father (Fred Ward, in a thankless role), everybody is just so darn nice that the bad things that happen always leads to something wonderful. In the postcard-perfect Portland of the story, addiction only happens off-camera, lesbian women seducing wives away from husbands are okay, affairs with married men are acceptable, making a home-made pornographic film isn't any big deal, even self-mutilation is a potential way to make a love connection! Benton makes this all work, but I WAS scratching my head...
While Greg Kinnear's coffee shop owner is so bland and out-of-touch that it was hard to warm up to him (his big comic scene, bribing his nephew to get a dog back that he no longer needed, and the boy had bonded with, seemed not only unfunny, but out-of-character), Morgan Freeman is rock-solid as a professor dealing with the loss of a son by passively observing the lives around him. He is complimented by Jane Alexander's wise portrayal of his wife, and their scenes together are the most richly dramatic of the film.
The best roles of the film are the women's; Alexa Davalos, as a free spirit who bonds with a doomed ex-addict (Toby Hemingway), overcomes the "so beautiful that she can't be real" initial reaction to her, to become the 'heart' of the story, demonstrating a courage and depth that is refreshing to see in a young actress. Equally impressive is Radha Mitchell, as a Realtor who marries Kinnear just to snub her married boyfriend (Billy Burke). In a role that included dramatic confrontations while nude, she never seemed artificial, and offered a remarkable depth to what could have been a cold-hearted portrayal.
Both Davalos and Mitchell have several nude scenes, so if you have young children, you may want to wait on airing this until they are in bed.
As I said, "Feast of Love" is enjoyable, if not really believable...I think it works best as a great 'date' movie, to snuggle up to, with someone you love!
Movie Review: not much of a movie
Summary: 3 Stars
Well this movie was no classic by any means, but watching a movie that was designed for the Lifetime Movie Network was a fairly nice way to pass the time last night.
First of all, yes, like many people, I wanted to watch this movie because the all mighty Morgan Freeman plays in it. The guy can simply turn something bad into something good JUST by his presence alone, and honestly, the 3 stars I'm giving this movie are mainly because of Morgan Freeman.
It's about two separate couples that go through relationship troubles, and Morgan always happens to be there to offer advice when needed. I had no problem with this. What WAS a big problem was the poor acting from all the other characters, especially the drunk father who wasn't believable in any way shape or form when he turned obnoxious and supposedly threatening to his sons girlfriend. Ha!
I also didn't like the guy who found out his wife liked other women, and his quest to find another girlfriend resulted in even more poor acting, and his character was someone you just didn't want to feel sorry for because of the way he handled himself- he felt like a clueless idiot.
Another problem was the very very poor ending. Not only did the movie end quite suddenly and unexpectedly, but there was hardly anything interesting about the way the story was summed up. VERY disappointing.
Despite that, I liked the story, and if you take out all the graphic nude scenes that shockingly dominate much of the film, it's not that bad of a movie. Below average for a movie involving Morgan Freeman though, without a doubt.