The Dinner Date

This is a sweet, gem of a film that I recommend highly. Independent films like this are becoming my favorites, and this one reinforced that trend. I watched The Dinner Date with my wife and another couple, and we all enjoyed it. We each came away with our favorite characters and bits of the film that we talked about over dinner afterward. My favorite character was Steve, but I really fell for the relationship developed between Maggie and Charles. I don't want to write a spoiler into this review, so you'll have to watch it yourself to see the comedy that ensues.

Watch this alone, with a friend. It's a "date movie," but not in the strict sense. You'll like this no matter who you see this with.

Stumbled across The Dinner Date quite by chance and a real treat it was too. Investigated the director's background and was quite shocked to discover his American roots; I say this as the film is so wonderfully British and really encapsulates the feel of classic sitcom, except Edson goes one braver and makes an entire film of his subject! The Dinner Date is a quaint take on life in London for those '30 somethings' that believe they have that something special and would like their single friends to have the same; the set up. You can identify with the characters and if Chris Maughan's voice doesn't tickle you there's plenty more that will. The film is also accompanied with excellent hand drawn artistic graphics that really add to an excellent effort.

If you're like me, you grew up watching the romantic comedies of the 50s and 60s, and miss the characters who, despite their whacky antics, still managed to capture our hearts. I'm excited to share The Dinner Date with my friends from my generation because it truly honors these classic, timeless comedies without trying hard to emulate them.

I'd never heard of the writer/director Win Edson prior to seeing this film, but it seems as though he and I must be from the same era. Many of today's romantic comedies seem to be trapped in fulfilling the expectations of studio execs instead of giving people what they want. That's why they can be so predictable and formulaic. Don't get me wrong; there are plenty of good rom coms coming out of studios these days, but it seems the good ones are harder and harder to find.

Maybe it takes an independent producer without the constraints of big studios to make a movie that simply makes him or her laugh? Dunno, but it seems as though Win Edson might have simply set out to make a movie he'd enjoy watching and let the rest of the creative process flow from that point. It seems to have worked so well.

Character development, especially in a shorter film like this, can be tricky. Luckily, whip-smart dialog and good acting helped me empathize with the characters on all the levels I need. I loved the character of Maggie, despite her peccadilloes, and Charles was a delight - borrowing a bit maybe from Woody Allen and a young Jack Lemon. Oscar Ward, who played Steve was spot-on as a jerk with a heart of gold. It takes quite a lot of patience to find that gold, but it's there if you're willing to look.

I hope you take the time to see this movie and tell your friends if you like it. I hope you'll find it as charming and unpretentious as I did.

The Dinner Date is one of these films that is thoroughly entertaining, lighthearted, and very funny, but you also end up learning a little about human nature along the way.

Basically, the film centers around a setup that goes laughably wrong...

The characters were all very memorable.

I really liked 'Charles'. He keeps this little book called 'Things that I've learnt' so he doesn't forget life's lessons. And no matter how much I wanted to loath 'Oscar', he's the anti hero of the film, I couldn't help liking him. His antics were devious to the point of hilarity, but definitely believable. Eve is endlessly trying to 'fix the world', one relationship at a time, starting with Charles and Maggie. Speaking of Maggie, she was probably my favourite! She has some 'condition' where she laughs hysterically when she hears about a tragedy. And I love the fact that she can't stop eating chocolate once she starts.

If you're in the mood for a good comedy with a lot of heart, I totally recommend this film!

The Dinner Date is essentially a rom-com set against a London backdrop. This light-hearted comedy entertains by telling a gently winding story of the relationships of four people with a goldfish, a food shaped birthmark & a set of dating rules thrown into the mix. Unlucky in love Maggie, is set up by best friend Eve, with her perpetually single friend, Charles, much to the disgust of her boyfriend Steve. From this dinner date the plot unfolds. Maggie and Charles have so many quirks between them they are surely meant to be together. Or are they? If you're looking for a will they?, won't they? film and some laughs along the way, this is it.