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Drama Is A 'Feast' For The (Non)Senses

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By CHRISTY LEMIRE The Associated Press

Published: September 28, 2007

That this is an overstuffed melodrama, better suited for broadcast as a TV movie of the week than as a theatrical release, is bad enough. That it comes from Robert Benton, a veteran whose output has slowly, steadily declined in quality since writing 'Bonnie and Clyde' and writing and directing 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' is just plain sad.

But what's truly troubling is the way the film, written by Allison Burnett based on the novel by Charles Baxter, regards women as idiots and objects.

Every female actress gets fully, gratuitously naked at some point (except Jane Alexander, who manages to maintain some dignity alongside Morgan Freeman, who plays her husband).

One (played by Selma Blair) abruptly leaves her husband (Greg Kinnear) for another woman - a stereotypical, softball-playing, predatory lesbian. Another (Alexa Davalos) consults a psychic about her blossoming romance with a fellow coffeehouse employee (Toby Hemingway) then goes into a tizzy of wedding and baby planning based on the forecast.

The worst (Radha Mitchell) is involved with a married man (Billy Burke), then marries Kinnear's character Bradley for stability rather than love, yet maintains the affair with this person who's quick to slap her face and call her the most profane word you can hurl at a woman.

This is supposed to be a romantic comedy? Sounds more like the guest list for 'Dr. Phil.'

All of these entanglements take place in and around the Portland, Ore., coffeehouse that Bradley owns. It's like 'Friends' without the funny. Oh, wait - that's redundant.

MOVIE REVIEW

Feast of Love *½

MOVIE BOARD RATING: R (strong sexual content, nudity and profanity)

STARS: Selma Blair, Greg Kinnear, Alexa Devalos, Toby Hemingway, Radha Mitchell, Billy Burke, Morgan Freeman, Jane Alexander
DIRECTOR: Robert Benton

LOCATION: For locations, see Quick Flicks, Page 7; see Page 9 for movie times.

PLOT SUMMARY: Self-absorbed people fall in and out of love.

RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes

ON THE WEB: feastoflove

film.com

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