Professor Harry Stevenson (Morgan Freeman) has taken time off from his teaching duties to recover from the tragic death of his son. His teaching job put him in a position to assist those in need, but now he’s satisfied with quietly observing others going about their everyday lives, lending advice only when specifically asked for his opinion.
Sipping on his coffee in his friend Bradley’s little coffee house, Professor Stevenson has a front row seat to the emotional drama playing out all around him. Even before Bradley realizes he’s about to lose his wife to an unlikely suitor, Harry has it all figured out. Then there’s the handsome yet troubled barrista, Oscar (Toby Hemingway), who serves him his steaming cup of java on a daily basis. Harry knows the minute a beautiful stranger named Chloe (Alexa Davalos) walks into the shop the two are destined to fall deeply in love.
The Cast
There’s no better actor than Morgan Freeman to play narrator for a story such as this. Freeman’s just so charming and earnest that he's able to take a character like Professor Stevenson and make him instantly into someone we not only trust but also care about.
Freeman’s surrounded by a cast of recognizable faces in Feast of Love including Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear (As Good as It Gets) as the coffee shop owner who slowly opens his eyes to the world. Kinnear’s done a couple of these types of roles before, and he’s well cast as the optimist who keeps on believing in love even when it’s spitting his affection back in his face. Selma Blair and Radha Mitchell admirably play the cheating women who give Kinnear trouble.
The Bottom Line
With Morgan Freeman playing the audience’s guide through all the intricate, intimate details of multiple relationships, Feast of Love is a delicious, meaty dish. Sure, it’ll appeal more to women than men, but there’s something (and not just nudity for the males) in this for anyone who’s in a relationship, recovering from a bad relationship, or ready to take on a new one.
GRADE: B
Feast of Love is rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and language.
