Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Eat" is a 9-minute cartoon by famous American animator Bill Plympton. He made this one between his 2 Oscar nominations. It is basically about what happens at a restaurant at night when a couple guests come. Utter chaos ensues, that much is safe. If you have seen some of the director's work, you will immediately recognize Plympton's approach, not only in the animation style. It is over-the-top and gross and the soundtrack also fits him. Do not pay attention to reviews that call it misogynist. Those people obviously did not understand a thing depicted in here. It is not against women. But sadly, it is also not particularly entertaining. The only thing I liked was the animation. The story was very random and forgettable. Plympton has done better on other occasions. I give "Eat" a thumbs down. Surprised to see it won a prestigious award at Cannes.
Michael_Elliott
Eat (2001) ** (out of 4) Good tastes has never been mentioned in a Plympton film and that continues with this weird one. The action takes place inside an Italian restaurant where various people show up to eat. I can't say I enjoyed this short because I simply didn't laugh enough but even though the laughs were short I must admit that the entire film is so strange and surreal that it's hard not to recommend it on some levels. The people that show up in the restaurant range from a lonely man who pretends his pasta is a woman, kids fighting and we even get a vomit scene that will have many hitting the stop button on their remotes. Again, I didn't find anything here funny but at the same time there's such a strange atmosphere that you can't help but be somewhat entertained by what you're seeing. There's a certain darkness to the movie that makes it rather original even if you can't enjoy what jokes are here.
MartinHafer
While most people who go on IMDb have probably seen a bit of Bill Plympton's strange cartoons (such as with the old car insurance ads from the 1990s and early 2000s), he certainly is not a mainstream animator. His bizarre sense of humor and unique colored pencil look is something I love, but this particular film is harder for the average person to love. It made me laugh out loud repeatedly, while my oldest daughter sat there with her face covered during much of "Eat"--it's certainly NOT a film for all tastes.The entire film consists of action that occurs inside a restaurant. One guy is lonely and is pretending his pasta is a lady (don't ask), a guy is out with a woman who talks non-stop, some kids start having a fight that goes to AMAZING heights and there is a choking/vomiting scene that will certainly put many off---though I laughed as the guy vomited like a geyser! The entire film is very surreal and strange and is just something you have to see to appreciate...and I did.
acmelita
Another gem from Bill Plympton. His legions of regular fans won't be disappointed and perhaps it will even recruit some new ones, since the end is very reminiscent of Monty Python's "Just one thin mint?" sketch.This humorous short reminds me of when I served time behind a menu and a tray. You get kind of numb to all sorts of gross eating habits of people, otherwise you wouldn't survive your shift let alone the week till your next paycheck. This film brings it all back: the weird-o single diner; the annoying couple, complete with the man ordering for the girl; the family that brought the obnoxious, messy brats along. The benefit of this film is that I don't have to serve these people, but can just commiserate with the poor waitress who does. Of course, what do you want from a restaurant whose name translates to "House of Eats"?I think you can pick this up over at www.Filmporium.com They include the Academy-Award winning "Ryan" and Chris Hinton's frenetic short "Flux" in the five dollar DVD.
AD
