People will only stop making films about love when the topic ceases to be interesting or when people forget how to make films: the latter of the two being the more likely possibility, I think. It is, after all, an infinitely fascinating subject, at least when explored in an honest fashion. I admit that I occasionally cringe unconsciously at the prospect of seeing a love-based movie because too many films are created based on a fantasy of love which has little to no foundation in reality. However, when a film can capture love in all of its raw, painful, nuanced, thrilling, overwhelming glory, it is an accomplishment worth noting. Director Robert Benton attempts to achieve this in his film “Feast of Love” by exploring the multitude of forms that love can take: lustful, familial, passionate, heart-wrenching, platonic, false, earth-shaking, temporary, lasting. The list goes on. Perhaps it is a bit too much to take on in a single film; it may have been more prudent to create a midnight snack of love rather than a feast, but there are moments in the film that are so honest and real that it almost makes up for the fact that it tries to cover so much ground.
Furthermore, for this particular filmgoer, it doesn’t hurt that writers Charles Baxter and Allison Burnett set their story in my hometown of Portland, Ore. Familiar streets, bridges, schools and parks pop up in every scene, creating a nostalgic bias for me towards the film that makes it a bit more difficult to critique.
The story is engaging in itself, however, regardless of its marvelous setting. It is a typical web-of-life tale, where Bradley is married to Kathryn, but Kathryn falls in love with Jenny, so Bradley is consoled by Harry, who is married to Esther, who becomes a surrogate mother to Chloe, who falls in love with Oscar, who works in Bradley’s coffee shop. Oh, it is indeed a crazy, tangled labyrinth of love. Characters suffer, they despair and they are rebuilt and rejuvenated. It is predictable but only in the sense that these are things that are inevitable in life.
The acting is particularly impressive; there is not a single false emotional moment in the film. Greg Kinnear is especially appealing as Bradley, a kind, somewhat naive coffee shop owner who is taken advantage of again and again by the various women he falls for. Radha Mitchell and Billy Burke are riveting as a pair of adulterous lovers who just can’t bear to end their relationship.
I must say, though, (and I can’t be the only one) that I don’t think I can tolerate another film narrated by Morgan Freeman. The man has a deep, rich, expressive voice that is excellent for storytelling, but he has narrated approximately 1,000 films at this point in his career, and the filmmakers need to give someone else a chance. It creates a strange feeling of déjà vu when watching movies that feature his voice melodiously gliding over the images on the screen.
Overall, the film is touching and quite realistic, though overly sentimental at times. Benton tries to accomplish too much, but what he does accomplish is impressive. If you’re hankering for a film that gives a genuine portrayal of the difficulties and delights of love, this might just be the feast for you.
