Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

I wanted to but couldn't!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

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.

Here's a review for those of you wondering if you should take the time to watch this film...Eat With Me is a fine choice if you want to watch something pleasant and mild that lacks any real drama or anything that might cause you to think. It's a good looking film that's generally well acted, but it's so barely there that it's rather forgettable and if you're intolerant of clichés you'd probably best avoid the film.There's a gay son who can't commit to love and whose career is failing, a middle aged mother who is finding herself for the first time, a wacky next door neighbor who spouts off free spirit follow- your-bliss blah blah blah, and another gay guy who definitely seems too nice to want to be with the self involved main character.Other than the mother, who is the strongest and most interesting character, most of Eat With Me is unbelievable or pointless. Even the required gay film boy on boy action is the usual frantic "WE MUST MAKE LOVE NOW!" thrashing about. (No naked, just pretty upper bodies.)There is a nice (though a little silly) cameo from George Takei who more or less magically shows up and makes some sage comments about same sex love to the mother.

Very light, fluffy drama/comedy, with lots of things going on; a young, Asian entrepreneur (Teddy Culver) tries to cope when his mother (Sharon Omi) moves in with him. Some fun guest stars -- Nicole Sullivan, George Takei. Elliot owns the restaurant, and has huge money troubles. The basic story is excellent and contemporary. Fun interaction between the neighbor (N. Sullian) and Mom. Some confusion here and there... the writers keep toying with us, and a couple times we're not sure if we're in a dream sequence, or if a scene is really happening. I was willing to let the first one go, but then five minutes later, they did it again. not cool. Everyone gives a GREAT performance, acting-wise. Sweet story lines, mostly well done. Fun bit with George Takei, who pretty much plays himself. Aiden Bristow plays "Ian", the boyfriend. Why did I not hear of this movie before ?? Written and directed by David Au. Not a lot of info on him. Will look for more films by both Au and Culver.

The characters aren't interesting, the story isn't interesting (or plausible), and the pacing is excruciatingly slow. I don't mind slow if it's good slow. This is bad slow.There is nothing original to be seen here. All these characters--even these Asian characters--have been seen before. The dialog is completely flat. If there's an uninteresting way to say something, this writer found it. There were a couple scenes where I could pretty much say the line to come before it was said--it was that predictable and trite.It was difficult for me to believe the central character was gay. A gay guy who owns a restaurant that's failing because the food is so dull? I don't think so. Not that we know what's wrong with the food exactly. We just know that nobody likes it. The miraculous turn-around ending of the movie was just as inexplicable. Better dumplings? Nice chairs, nice white tablecloths? Wait, what?Dumb me. I thought I might be in for an Eat Drink Man Woman quality movie, and perhaps that's what it aspired to, but this is the polar opposite of that film.