Feast of Love - Robert Benton

This movie has bad reviews! I Googled Feast of Love, and I must say, I have seen more bad reviews than good ones about this flick. Here's why I think this one is getting the raw end of it.

First of all, the name of the film... Feast of Love?! What are they, Shakespeare? Food of love...feast of love...not happening. Secondly, a rather lame Greg Kinnear. Do you have to make puppy eyes and look tortured all the time? Thirdly, the loveliest couple in the story ends up minus one. That was cruel! And that is why anyone would easily hate this film, or at least show aggressive indifference.

At this juncture, I would like to state that I an NOT a part of that there folks! I LOVED the film! It was a beautiful blend (pun intended) of love, sadness, loss, new relationships, end of old ones, innocence of youth, wisdom of age, naivety and precociousness. It was not so much a 'feast' as much as a 'partaking'. There are all these people living their lives, and we are here, catching a glimpse into their existence, and grieving or rejoicing with them.

And it is not the soppy, reach for the Kleenex, or die of sugar overdose kind of chick flick that I abhor (read 'adore'!). Yet, it is about Love, with a capital 'L'.

I am not going to tell you the story, if you haven't already seen it. I want you to hear it from the characters themselves. This is not anyone else's story to tell, really. It is far too fragile and delicate a thing to be ploughed through with objective narration. It is people's feelings, raw emotions, endearing yet embarrassing flaws, and aching yearnings.

It is made up of almost every kind of love that the world has seen. Sorry, Martian love with humans and amoeba-love not covered! But it is about love that an average human being will experience in their lifetime. Sensual love, motherly and fatherly love, forbidden love, daring love, puppy love, naive love, doomed love, tough love...you name it, they've got it. Even though it seems much too much to be packed into 2 hours, you will see that it is the most beautiful and natural thing when people experience it.

If you are not bleeding through your poetic heart already, go find a chisel to crack you up...you are probably made of stone. If you've already seen it, please tell me you liked it...or not...anything goes. If you haven't seen it, please say you will.. And if you think I will end by saying something tacky like, "join me in the feast of love..."? No, I won't say it...