Feed

"Feed", to adopt a food metaphor, left me hungry. The premise of this film is excellent - it's the first movie I've been aware of that tackles the bizarre subject of feeders.

Sadly, the strong cast is let down by sloppy direction. The film just isn't very cohesive. In the right hands, this could have been a very tense affair and a memorable cult movie. As it stands, the film lacks tension and any element of the fear factor. At the end of the day, it's okay but instantly forgettable.

The film scrapes a "7" as the subject matter is interesting and the acting is very good....it's just a shame that butter-fingered director Brett Leonard manages to drop the ball. In the right hands, this could have been a simply excellent film.

Phillip, Australian cyber crime officer, searches the seedy side of the internet, seeking illicit porn and snuff sites. After his last assignment in Germany, arresting a man wanting to eat himself and his accomplice. Phillip finds a site for Feeders and Gainers, where people (the feeders) feed food to the gainers, making them overtly overweight unable to move. Running the site, Michael Carter has his latest woman to feed, Deirdre, with an abundance of food for her to beg for. Without authority, Phillip flies to America to track Michael and stop this disturbing act.

At a time when Australia is rebuilding its film industry; with great films Look Both Way, Wolf Creek, Little Fish and The Proposition, it was only a matter of time for a movie like Feed would make its way out of the woodwork. Feed is a twisted, very twisted, film on humanities consumption and the amount of food we're eating. With our society so concerned of being thin, Feed spins that notion on its head, where bigger people are more beautiful; while taking it to the n'th degree with Dedrae weighing over six hundred pounds.

Like many films of this caliber, the hallmarks of a small budget are easily seen, yet isn't that the 'charm' of these films; rough camera work, corny dialog, overblown acting and a plot that doesn't completely make sense. As Feed starts off interesting, it takes a turn for the worst. Dropping the psychological mind game Michael was playing with Phillip, Feed turns into a chase film, becoming tedious with an overly drawn out ending. Its the move into familiar, predictable territory, where it was so unfamiliar to start off with.

Like before, the acting is so overblown. Patrick Thompson's tormented cop verges idiotic, gruffing his way along. Alex O'Loughlin fails to evoke a creepy vibe for Michael. The best acting came from Gabby Millgate, donning the fat suit while repeating "Feed Me".

Does Feed put you off food, no; Morgan Spurlocks documentary Super Size Me had more of a revulsion towards food.

The basic plot: cyber investigators from Austalia stumble on a fetist website about women who literally get feed to death of their own volition.

This movie will have a limited target audience. Fans of gross out movies will enjoy it, but there is no way an average person who pays to see movies like King Kong, The Transporter or Pirates of the Caribian will enjoy this. This target audience is a little more...less mainstream.

It's gross. At times it's hard to stomach 600 pound naked women being force fed then puking. It's a different kind of gross from movies like Cannibal Holocaust, Salo, Hostel, Se7en. It's more disturbing simply because of the subject matter, rather then the gore. But at the same time, I watched the whole thing, so I guess it wasn't bad.

Both the acting and direction were a pleasant surprise, I was expecting a mid range B movie, but got a real movie instead.

Two things I would have done differently...1. Dwell a little on the 'fans' of the fetish in question (they weren't even addressed), and 2. either more of the cannibal issue from the start of the movie or take that scene out completely or tie it into the force feeding later on.

I did stop eating though when I was watching it. A perfectly good tub of Orvil movie style popcorn, thrown away. So I suppose it accomplished what it set out to do.

I won't rate this movie though. I will only say, it was well done overall, and if you think you can stomach the subject matter, seek it out and watch it.

In Sidney, the Interpol agent Phillip Jackson (Patrick Thompson) investigates crimes in Internet with his partner Nigel (Matthew Le Nevez). After a mission in Hamburg, Phillip has troubles in the relationship with his liberal girlfriend Abbey (Rose Ashton) that tags him "chauvinist pig". While researching the web, Phillip finds a bizarre site where a man shows obese women being fed by him. He finds the origin of the site in Ohio, and without authorization, he travels to USA pursuing the pervert Michael Metszencalmpf, a.k.a. Michael Carter (Alex O'Loughlin). When Phil meets Michael, he surprisingly knows who Phil is; further, Michael tells that what he is doing is not wrong since he is releasing fat women from the standards of thinness imposed by the society. However, Phil discovers the true motives of Michael, beginning a personal war against the deranged criminal.

"Feed" is bizarre, sick, disgusting; I have no doubts about it. However, it is also a scary and original story, with well developed characters and situations, and very well acted and directed. The association of the unpleasant plot with "Se7en" or the first's works of David Cronenberg or Takashi Miike is quite immediate. Michael is a clever psychopath, and his explanations about evolution and fashion standards are very impressive. Phillip is an impulsive detective that goes deeper in his investigations, but has his own demons in the closet. The result is a fascinating mouse and cat duel with a surprising conclusion. The gruesome "Feed" is not recommended to audiences of blockbusters or commercial movies; but for viewers that aim for a disturbing film that breaks taboos, they will certainly enjoy this movie. My vote is se7en.

Title (Brazil): "Feed – Fome Assassina" ("Feed – Assassin Hunger")

Story about an Aussie cyber cop who is on the hunt for a man who force feeds women to death. Pretty simple plot. But hey, it's pretty damn original one. But that's pretty much where the originality ends.

What follows is a psychological horror with no scares, a few sick scenes involving food, pretty good acting, questionable decision making and some pretty good directing.

I didn't care much for anyone in the film....probably the most was "Deidre" just because of the position she was in, but that's not saying much. Oh no, I felt for the Asian lady, since I have asthma too.

I do have to say that the make up for "Deidre" was done very, very well. I was second guessing myself the entire movie.

The movie is definitely worth checkin out if you're in the mood for a new take on psychological horror. I would definitely say rent it first, unless you collect films. Then Id say it has a nice, weird place in anyone's horror collection.

Pretty good flick. Almost gave it a 7.....I just didn't care for anyone.