Robert Benton is no stranger to exploring the inner workings of the
human heart. A humanist to his core, it’s the propensity for
disappointment and rebound — both forced and embraced — that seems to
most fascinate him. As the co-writer of 1967’s groundbreaking Bonnie & Clyde and the Oscar-honored filmmaker behind the seminal Kramer Vs. Kramer, as well as Billy Bathgate, Nobody’s Fool, 1982’s noirish Still of the Night and the equally tangled films Nadine and Twilight,
Benton is an ace chronicler of heartache. To varying degrees, his films
often focus on desire, and busted or turbulent relationships; he shines
a light on how love is jointly a fuel and an accelerant, driving us
ever forward but also making certain inherently sticky situations even
more combustible.

Feast of Love, is a culmination of sorts of
the mining of this theme. Adapted by Allison Burnett from Charles
Baxter’s novel of the same name, the Portland-set movie is a richly
sketched ensemble drama with light grace notes of comedy. Like certain
cinema of the 1970s, it’s a film that deals in frank terms with adult
problems (and sexuality), yet retains a general sheen of positivity
entirely of this era.

To capture in more realistic tones the full breadth of romance, both
blooming and fading, Benton stripped away a lot of the artificialities
usually found in Hollywood movies, from coyly placed bedsheets (one
vehement argument in the film unfolds entirely in the nude) to swelling
strings. While Benton goes out of his way to praise the work of
composer Stephen Trask, in a lot of Feast of Love, there is no score at all. “We didn’t ever want to underline moments of love,” he explains in a recent in-person chat.
“They’re very delicate and fragile and almost unseen, but they’re
there. And yet if you point at them, then I think you do them a
disservice. I think that the audience is so used to having emotions
really shoved in their face, that when you see it and there’s no
underscore, or minimal underscore, it allows you to more truly be a
part of that scene.” For the full interview feature, from FilmStew, click here.