Kezia Cole
As gay dramas with characters of Chinese heritage go, there are better structured, better written, and better filmed choices out there (the beautifully shot and sensitively written "Lilting" comes to mind), and although "Eat With Me" does a solid job of engaging with contemporary Asian-American identity - something sorely under-represented in Hollywood - there's little here that doesn't feel touched by stereotype or familiar tropes. However, this is a movie with its heart in the right place, and it's at its best when giving screen time to the wonderful Sharon Omi as Emma, a mother struggling to rebuild her relationship with her son (Teddy Chen Culver).Mostly, this is a fluffy, by-the-numbers piece, good-natured but lacking in any real depth or imagination. It's really memorable only for showing genuine empathy to Emma's character instead of focusing exclusively on her son's point of view, and it's that sensitivity that saves the movie from flopping entirely.Teddy Chen Culver, as Elliot, comes over as stilted and distant - which initially seems to be intentional, to convey the emotional repression shared by mother and son - but he never quite seems to open up, and the rest of the cast seem by turns equally ill at ease. Even a heavy- handed cameo from George Takei (was he promised his weight in dumplings to show up?) does little to lift the pace, though for anyone familiar with the struggle of balancing identity, family, pride, and vulnerability - or anyone who wants a crash course in cookery - this movie does have several moments recognizable enough to make you smile.
whitplay-821-822044
I skipped over this movie quite a few times on Netflix before finally deciding to view it. I'm glad that I did. Eat with Me is a wonderfully touching movie about personal growth and communication in relationships. Many of the performances are stellar with Nicole Sullivan's turn as the kooky neighbor a stand out. But Sharon Omi's performance as a wife and mother not really sure how to fulfill either role was just mesmerizing in my opinion. Her expressions of bewilderment, of longing, of concern, and ultimately resolution are powerful. Omi is not only my new favorite actress but my new favorite human being. Eat with Me will make your hungry ... for something more out of life.
kenmart78
This film was just so easy to watch and I really didn't want it to end. It was refreshing to see an LGBT film that doesn't just show the same old clichéd style. It approached many issues if relationships (boyfriend/friend, mother/son, husband/wife) in a way that was effective and not crass or raunchy. What I appreciated most is that this film is not just an LGBT film, it transcends all groups and all demographics. I was happy to see the diversity in the cast. The acting was top notch and the writing was a driving force. The music used in this film was almost a character in and of itself. It helped move the story along and held it all together nicely. We really need more films like this to help connect families that might be going through similar issues. The only negative thing I have to say about this film is that all the delicious food throughout made me want to go eat! Two thumbs up!!
E F
This movie was really bad. Not the worst movie I'd ever seen, but a waste of time nonetheless and infuriating to watch. Here are the reasons I hated it: - Acting. Some of the most inexpressive faces and bodies ever seen on the silver screen. No believability to the characters. You really felt they were "only pretending". The best actor of the group, to me, was the character Maureen. - Dialogue. I think a high school student could have written the dialogue. - Cinematography. Completely uninteresting way to film a movie. The angles and shots felt like they were taken by any random person simply holding up a video camera. - Predictable storyline. Slow pacing of movie. Overall, thoroughly unenjoyable to me - I also find the existing 8.3 rating on IMDb highly, highly suspect.
AD
