I'd looked forwards all last week to reviewing "The KINGDOM", thus when I discoverd La Femme'd steered me to the Lengthy-Line in the WRONG Theater's Preview, I was all set to be DISAPPOINTED... (WAY too late to drive 20 miles & get-in-line-in-time.)

Luckily, just as the line started moving, a very kind lady in front of us handed us a Spare "Admit Two" Ticket for THIS Preview & we got in to see "FEAST OF LOVE", which turned out to be the BEST Flick I've seen IN AGES!!! (THANKS Kind Green-with-Black-Striped Blouse Un-Named Lady..You're a PIP!!) THIS Flick was SO Good I've even FORGIVEN my Wife!!

The Entire CAST deserves Accolades, so here are their names, as-printed on the Free Pass: Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, Radler Michel, Billy Burke, Selena Blair, Alexa Davalos, Toby Hemmingway, with Jane Alexander. (Was Another Guy under "With" on the Credit Roll I forgot to write down..but sorry, It's DARK in there/Hard-to-write!) Apologies for Mis-Spelled Names, too...my penmanship's pathetic, hard to read-back. But "KUDOS" to the Whole Bunch of Yas, You Actors DELIVERED, Folks!

Set in an Oregon College Town, sometime around Football Season, This Film explores Loving Relationships of ALL Kinds, seen through the Aging-Yet-VERY-Wise Eyes of Professor Harry Stevenson (Morgan Freeman). Nearly-Retired, he & Sweet Wife Esther live in a nice Suburban Home, right next-door to a seemingly "Haunted" Abode where the last 3 Lovebird Couples ended up breaking-up & Moving-On.

Harry heads regularly to a local Coffee Shop owned by Bradley (Greg Kinnear). Brad's just watched his fetching, athletic wife get tagged out at a local softball game. (The Stadium & Surrounding Games-Grounds weave In-&-Out nicely thru the entire Plotline.) The Tagger-Outer Gal comes into the apres-game Coffee Shop Gathering & sits next to Brad's Wife, engaging in friendly chit-chat while Greg & The Professor have a conversation at the end of the table. Professor Harry catches the fact these 2 ladies are INSTANTLY-becoming "MORE-than-Friends"...

Soon, Bradley ends up with only the Family Pooch for Companionship out of Marriage Number One. {Guys, DO check your wife's Eye-Color before the Show...Bradley flunked Wifey's "Pop Quiz"..on her way Out The Door..for a Woman Who Appreciated Her Better...}

Meanwhile, Brad's sole employee, young Oscar, Nicely-Tattooed Hunk-of-a-Guy, (Name SOMEWHERE on that List I gave ya), catches the eye of street-smart passerby Chloe (Ditto on HER Real Name)..portraying possibly the Most-Telepathic Young Gal on The Planet! Sweet-Talks her beautiful way into a Job there, (& into Oscar's arms..and Memorable Life.) Oscar's got some "Baggage": Drugs behind him, an Alcoholic Dad to come home to... Chloe's had no parents for years. Somehow, they end up embodying "The HOPE" that Love carries with it, and it's Heart-warming to watch them turn into a young family.

However, in the "Hope-LESS Dep't", Bradley's on to "Wife Number Two": Sexy Blond Real-Estate Agent Diane, whose "Baggage" is a Seemingly-Doomed Relationship with a Married Man. She Shows It, Brad Buys It, They Marry...And "IT" just happens to be the "Haunted" House next-door to Professor Harry's. When Diane's ex-lover becomes an ex-Hubby, Bradley's House and Wife-Hunting all-over again. (His Depression leads to a butcher knife, blood-bein'-spilled, and somehow, a Believably-Happy-Ending with "Wife Number Three" you WILL Have to See!!!)

Showing the PATIENT, "Supportive Side" of Love, Professor Harry & Wife ALSO have some "Baggage"..losing an only-son. And, there's heartwarming-HeartBREAK ahead for Oscar & Chloe..yet, as this GEM of a Movie unfolds, you get to see Love, both PHYSICAL (thru HOT, Tasteful Love Scenes between almost ALL the Couples) and EMOTIONAL (via Great Philosophical QUIPS galore, throughout)..and by the Last Reel, Love really DOES "Conquer All" that can-&-does go awry.

At least it DOES in this Well-Done, Heartwarming Flick! See it or miss one of the Best Ones Out-There this Fall! Let's give it a 9 1/2 on the Bo Derek Scale of View-worthiness, & see if ya don't agree. Be prepared to clap loudly at the end, like lotsa folks DID! (I even THANKED My Wife for makin' me miss "The Kingdom"!)

JMO..(Keep-or-Sweep)

Big Hugs,
Stan