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In-House Review - Sep 24 2007
Spanish director Ventura Pons' first English-language film is this faithful adaptation of David Leavitt's "The Page Turner," a sensual and highly literate drama of a young gay pianist, his overbearing mother and his tempestuous first love. In this fi...
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Spanish director Ventura Pons' first English-language film is this faithful adaptation of David Leavitt's "The Page Turner," a sensual and highly literate drama of a young gay pianist, his overbearing mother and his tempestuous first love. In this film, Pons has created his most unabashedly gay, steamy and accessible work yet. Adorable Kevin Bishop plays Paul, a sexually repressed aspiring pianist. One night in San Francisco he is given the opportunity to work as a page turner for his idol, the famed pianist Richard Kennington (Paul Rhys). After the concert, the older man and teenager flirt, but before anything can happen, Paul's neurotic mother Pamela (Juliet Stevenson) intercedes.
Six months later in Barcelona, they meet up again and, despite his meddling mother, Paul and Kennington embark on a passionate affair. Over the course of the next few days, their affair deepens, in spite of (or perhaps because of) their age difference. The recently divorced Pamela, oblivious to the notion that her son is gay, misinterprets Richard's amorous signals, feeling that he is flirting with her (and doesn't see that the attraction is with her son). Adding to the complexity of the affair is Kennington's lover/manager Mansourian (Allan Corduner) who begins to suspect something's up. Rather than deal with the whole embarrassing situation, Richard flees back to New York.
Sometime later, with Paul now a Julliard music student and lover to another middle-aged man, the two meet again. Enlisting a brilliant cast of British actors ? including out thespian Corduner ? to play his American leads and shooting almost entirely in his native Spain, Pons crossed borders of all sorts this go-around. And Leavitt approved, lauding praise upon the film when it screened at Berlin this year. A marvelous adaptation that is sure to be one of "the" gay films of 2002!
Scott Cranin, Lawrence Ferber
Review by Essence of Dignity
By: Essence of Dignity
Food of Love was interesting because of the storyline it offers. Of course it would be easy to say it could have been written this way or acted that way and it would have all turned out better, but that is too superficial. This is a good offering o...
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Food of Love was interesting because of the storyline it offers. Of course it would be easy to say it could have been written this way or acted that way and it would have all turned out better, but that is too superficial. This is a good offering of a film with pretty good acting as it tells the story of one young man's embrace and awareness into his own sexuality, in the middle of a windstorm called "My Mom Is So Nosey & Clingy". Sexual awakening is a common theme in film today and not to give the whole movie away, but I like the way this film plays up the fact the mom and son are attracted to and longing for the touch of the same man. In truth, mom has some understanding issues that she must deal with moreso because the son is somewhat dignified in his stance in life. This film includes some fantastic piano playing moments as well. I enjoyed this film and gave it respect in the form of 2.5 Stars. A few scenes lacked umph here and there, but all the while I needed to see this film all the way through for closure sake. Good Offering Of A Film!
Review by Amos Lassen
By: Amos Lassen
"Food of Love"
It Could Have Been So Good
Amos Lassen
I really dislike films that have great potential and they because of some unknown reason fall flat. Not that "Food of Love" fell flat but it could have been so much better.
"...
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"Food of Love"
It Could Have Been So Good
Amos Lassen
I really dislike films that have great potential and they because of some unknown reason fall flat. Not that "Food of Love" fell flat but it could have been so much better.
"Food of Love" had the potential to be a beautiful coming-of-age story. All of the elements were there but it somehow lost its focus and became extremely muddled. I wanted so much to like this movie. It basically "lost it" in the way that it showed how not to care for an eighteen year old whose is full of infatuation for an older man.
Paul (Kevin Bishop) is a vulnerable and sheltered teen who has fallen in love with Richard (Paul Rhys). What happens to the two is the meat of the story. Richard gives the impression that he is unconcerned with the young man who is obviously smitten with him. Paul is hopelessly in love with Richard as evidenced by the number of phone calls and by the faxes he sent him. Paul as a student as Julliard then transfer his affections to another older man, a "sugar daddy" who is three times his age but pines over Richard. Paul's mother is at a loss as to how to deal with the situation and behaves hysterically.
We can only wonder if Paul who had the ability to become a brilliant pianist actually was so distraught over his unrequited love that he turned in only mediocre performances. What is so sad is that Paul allowed the men to use him sexually and believed that they cared for him.
As this sad move comes to a close it was totally uneven and completely unfulfilling. A great deal of emotion was shown at the end of the film-so much so that the film seemed to be just getting going instead of drawing to a close. Paul does manage to come to terms with his mother but only as a broken youth and the movie has no resolution.
The script had virtually no focus whatsoever and thus the movie had no direction. I am sure yet as to whether it is a soap opera or soft core porn. The acting is very, very amateurish and Kevin Bishop as Paul shows no talent aside from having a very pretty rear end.
What is missing most of al is an ending. Pal moves to New York and is disillusioned--THE END. The characters do not seem to know anything about themselves and all they learn in the film is that life is no good and that people can't be trusted. He movie does not show life-it hides from it.
Review by dangerousman
By: dangerousman
At first, it was hard for me to follow this movie. As I watch it, I have fallen into it. It is good but not great. It is something I will only watch once.
Review by chuck
By: chuck
I can't understand why a love story of this caliber isn't publicized more. I also can't understand why the price is so low. I have just finished watching this DVD and the haunting feeling of a first love story really hit me between the eyes.
Review by Janorm
By: Janorm
Pons has produced a truely magnificent work of artisitic cinematogaphy. His adaptions of Leavitt's book is nothing short of miraculous. He has somehow managed to assemble the most perfect set of character acters available and draw their most superb...
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Pons has produced a truely magnificent work of artisitic cinematogaphy. His adaptions of Leavitt's book is nothing short of miraculous. He has somehow managed to assemble the most perfect set of character acters available and draw their most superb performances. All parents of teenage children could directly benefit from viewing this movie! This a film that you have to have for your Collection! SIMPLY OUTSTANDING!!!
Review by MarcusLee
By: MarcusLee
I have to say, Ventura Pons is great for having such a film made. This brought back many memories of Barcelona when I went there, years ago. Kevin Bishop played a good role in the would be great student. His love for his idol, is a seducing and powe...
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I have to say, Ventura Pons is great for having such a film made. This brought back many memories of Barcelona when I went there, years ago. Kevin Bishop played a good role in the would be great student. His love for his idol, is a seducing and powerful love. I have made this film part of my home collection.
Review by Ric
By: Ric
This movie is a fairly well acted film. The plot is not one to tax anybody's brains. This movie is a semi sweet morsel that could have been a bit better
Review by yawnmower
By: yawnmower
With Barcelona, Brahms, and a great score as background, the stage is beautifully set for a story that, no matter how hard it tries, does not measure up to its promise. Almost all the leads are British actors playing Americans directed by a Spaniard...
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With Barcelona, Brahms, and a great score as background, the stage is beautifully set for a story that, no matter how hard it tries, does not measure up to its promise. Almost all the leads are British actors playing Americans directed by a Spaniard, which may explain the stilted characterizations. Semi-hunky Kevin Bishop, with startling grey-blue eyes, is a standout playing Paul, an aspiring concert pianist. He falls for tall, ghoulish Richard (Paul Rhys) while turning pages for the turning-forty pianist. For Richard its lust at first sight and he seduces Paul with the obligatory back-rub leading to bed inside of five minutes. Even so, the few love scenes are intimate, tender, and quiet, suggesting that the story might, perhaps, go in quite a different direction than, unfortunately, it does. The one thing we miss in Paul, and the script, is joy. The film is, however, a startlingly accurate portrait of the'haute-gay' world of New York's classical music business with it's elegant Central Park West apartments, predatory and self-serving agents, and an exclusive hierarchy which devours young artists who are beautiful, but cannot compete due to inexperience or inaptitude for 'the game'. As a Juilliard graduate, I found that this film (flawed but still enjoyable) stirred memories of the musical demi-monde of New York, with its thinly-veiled artistic Darwinism. This disc itself has slight problems: a sound-track that is slightly out-of-synch and is too loud at one moment, then hardly audible the next.
Review by silvertron
By: silvertron
I'm a big fan of author David Leavitt-whose book "The Page Turner" was the basis for this film; though "The Page Turner" is not my favorite of Leavitt's novels. The adaptation is fairly faithful. There's the relatively change of part of the s...
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I'm a big fan of author David Leavitt-whose book "The Page Turner" was the basis for this film; though "The Page Turner" is not my favorite of Leavitt's novels. The adaptation is fairly faithful. There's the relatively change of part of the setting from Italy to Spain, and some of the action is condensed-which for the most part, actually works in the movie's favor.
But I don't think the movie really succeeds. The performances were, in general, okay-but there are no real standouts. Kevin Bishop, who plays Paul-an eighteen year old music student-does a very believable American accent (he's British), and though cute, it is hard to see why he is such an object of lust. I have even more problems with Juliet Stevenson, playing Paul's mother. I just don't buy her performance: I don't quite believe her as this character (her accent, which is all over the place, doesn't help) and found her more annoying than funny. The two other main actors-Paul Rhys and Allan Corduner, playing a famous pianist and his manager respectively-do okay jobs with not very fleshed out roles.
The main reason I think this movie doesn't succeed is it just doesn't have a really consistent plot or theme to carry it. Is it about Paul's coming of age? His mother's journey after her marriage crumbles? The famous pianist's feelings about no longer being the prodigy? The movie seems to be trying to be all these things, but none of the stories are complete, and the screenplay doesn't tie them together in any real way.
Review by Netguy
By: Netguy
"Food Of Love" marks the debut of Ventura Pons first English language film and is based on the novel, "The Page Turner" by David Leavitt. As the film began I thought to myself, "This is going to be one of the best gay films I've seen in recent memory...
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"Food Of Love" marks the debut of Ventura Pons first English language film and is based on the novel, "The Page Turner" by David Leavitt. As the film began I thought to myself, "This is going to be one of the best gay films I've seen in recent memory", and although I really enjoyed it, what began as a really good coming of age love story, midway through it took a completely different direction and became an after school special, centered around a mother dealing with her son's homosexuality. Having not read the book I can't say how it compares, but as a movie, it left me hungry for more. All the performances are great although the mother (Juliet Stevenson) at times seemed too over the top and almost cartoonish. Kevin Bishop who plays Paul, is a cute, blue-eyed, blonde that showed a wide range of emotions throughout the film, from his first sexual encounter, to his disappointments with school, and frustrations with his mom, and so forth. Paul Rhys also gives a wonderful performance and appears sensitive, intimate and charming towards towards the boy and his mom.
It begins in San Francisco as 18 year old Paul Portfield (Kevin Bishop), an aspiring piano player and soon to be Juliard student, gets a job as a page turner for his idol Richard Kennington (Paul Rhys), a renowned concert pianist. During the concert as Paul reaches to turn the pages as Richard plays feverishly, you get the beginning glimpses of the sexual sparks between them. After the concert, Richard invites Paul out for a drink only to be interrupted and taken home by his overprotective and at times manic mother (Juliet Stevenson).
After finding out his dad has left his mother for another woman, Paul and his mom venture off to Spain on vacation. While wandering the streets Paul spots a concert poster featuring Richard and he sets out to find him. Paul tracks him down and drops by his hotel room where he's soon seduced by the pianist in an intimate and gentle way. Paul becomes totally infatuated with Richard and after a week long fling Paul and his mom are off to Granada while Richard, unbeknownst to Paul, returns home to New York and his manager/lover Joseph Mansourian (Allan Corduner). Months go by and Paul is now attending Juliard, seeing an older man, and trying to get over Richard. It's a rollercoaster of a ride especially when a classmate of Paul's gets signed by Mansourian while Mansourian wants Paul to be a page turner yet again at a dinner party. In the midst off all this Paul's mom is trying to cope with divorce and, after finding a porn magazine in Paul's suitcase, her son's homosexuality. This is where the story takes a turn that was not completely satisfying. The mother attends a "mom's with gay sons" meeting and it just seemed totally misplaced and campy. Also, while attending school Paul seems to always be in the company of older men. I considered maybe that was his way of looking to a father figure or something but why wasn't he going out with guys his own age? His roommate looked cute enough. Also the portrayal of the older guys seemed to suggest they preyed on younger men. Those are just a couple of the issues I had with the story and I was a bit disappointed that it didn't stay focused on his relationship with Richard.
Events unfold and secrets are revealed, but many questions are still left unanswered at the end. Overall I would recommend it but still wish the story had centered more around Paul and his relationships than that of his mother and her issues. I'd love to see a sequel that's for sure! The acting is fine and the locales and direction I thought were great. There are a number of scenes with brief nudity and homoerotic touches that give this picture an "R" rating. The picture quality of the DVD is crisp and clear and so is the audio. It also features extras that include interviews with the cast members, the director Ventura Pons and even David Leavitt, author of the novel. Numerous trailers of other features from TLA Releasing as well.
Review by Chris
By: Chris
Food of Love is unquestionably one of the best gay films of our time. An outstanding storyline coupled with brilliant acting, Food of Love will quickly become a part of your collection that you watch many times and again.