Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Warm animation and an easy to digest palate of colors welcome the viewer into this tale that is as deep as it is visually sumptuous. For all its visual splendor, the humor and heart at the core of the story is what make "Feast" a great short film. The simplistic plot centers on one man's love life as it's seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share.
Winston is a lovable, rambunctious pup, and his journey is easy to relate to. He loves to eat, and shares meals with his bachelor caretaker, faithfully accompanying him on life's journey. The need for home, for family (however one chooses to define it) and companionship are all lovingly touched upon by a well written script. The script also utilizes food for comedy and as a self- referential item to look at its importance in our lives.
This short from director Patrick Osborne, one of the animators on Disney's Oscar winner "Paperman" (2012), introduces audiences to the most lovable puppy that animation fans have ever seen. "Feast" heaps plate upon plate of mouth-watering goodness into the center of the frame as Winston's happy appetite – especially for the comforting junk food his owner plops before him as they bond over pizza, nachos, spaghetti and meatballs, and more – becomes a metaphor for the pleasure of sharing a meal with a loved one. The tone of the film changes even when the comfort food stays the same, showing that it's the company, not the food itself, that gives meals their flavor. "Feast" features an unexpected arc as it takes viewers through a lifetime of highs and lows for the pooch and his master told primarily through the grub they share.
It also marks one of Disney's most significant shorts because of the wondrous animation with which Osborne tells the tale. The film features cutting-edge 3D animation, yet the characters bear quintessential 2D elements, for they have the depth and dimensions afforded to characters by contemporary technology. Winston is an endearing pooch that moves with the lifelike briskness, energy, and spunk of a real dog, but he has the affectionate flair of originality that comes when an animator offers a unique creation instead of trying to emulate the real: The result is a dog who looks and feels more real than a conventional motion-capture simulation. (And Winston is definitely a 'who' rather than a 'that.')
The success comes primarily through the emotional authenticity that Osborne and his team of cunning animators inject into the dog. Thanks to the sparkles in Winston's eyes, the expressiveness of his saggy jowls, and the scampering of his paws "Feast" adds human-like traits to a character without fully anthropomorphizing him into a full-fledged talking dog. The film also has an impeccable attention to detail that makes it feel especially cinematic. The light textures look better than ever for an animated film as "Feast" ingeniously blends warm glows and swathes of sunlight that make the mealtimes extra appetizing. Sound effects editing and mixing deserve equal billing along with the film's crisp, character-driven animation. A lovely, subtle score by Alex Ebert ("All is Lost") also accentuates the emotions at just the right moments, but the greatest triumph of this heartwarming short is how it cleverly lets the endlessly adorable face of Winston work as its best special effect. Winston's keenly observed body language clearly reflects Osborne's obvious love of dogs.
"Feast" is an animated short that knocks it out of the park, and lives up to its title in the best of ways.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Warm animation and an easy to digest palate of colors welcome the viewer into this tale that is as deep as it is visually sumptuous. For all its visual splendor, the humor and heart at the core of the story is what make "Feast" a great short film. The simplistic plot centers on one man's love life as it's seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share.
Winston is a lovable, rambunctious pup, and his journey is easy to relate to. He loves to eat, and shares meals with his bachelor caretaker, faithfully accompanying him on life's journey. The need for home, for family (however one chooses to define it) and companionship are all lovingly touched upon by a well written script. The script also utilizes food for comedy and as a self- referential item to look at its importance in our lives.
This short from director Patrick Osborne, one of the animators on Disney's Oscar winner "Paperman" (2012), introduces audiences to the most lovable puppy that animation fans have ever seen. "Feast" heaps plate upon plate of mouth-watering goodness into the center of the frame as Winston's happy appetite – especially for the comforting junk food his owner plops before him as they bond over pizza, nachos, spaghetti and meatballs, and more – becomes a metaphor for the pleasure of sharing a meal with a loved one. The tone of the film changes even when the comfort food stays the same, showing that it's the company, not the food itself, that gives meals their flavor. "Feast" features an unexpected arc as it takes viewers through a lifetime of highs and lows for the pooch and his master told primarily through the grub they share.
It also marks one of Disney's most significant shorts because of the wondrous animation with which Osborne tells the tale. The film features cutting-edge 3D animation, yet the characters bear quintessential 2D elements, for they have the depth and dimensions afforded to characters by contemporary technology. Winston is an endearing pooch that moves with the lifelike briskness, energy, and spunk of a real dog, but he has the affectionate flair of originality that comes when an animator offers a unique creation instead of trying to emulate the real: The result is a dog who looks and feels more real than a conventional motion-capture simulation. (And Winston is definitely a 'who' rather than a 'that.')
The success comes primarily through the emotional authenticity that Osborne and his team of cunning animators inject into the dog. Thanks to the sparkles in Winston's eyes, the expressiveness of his saggy jowls, and the scampering of his paws "Feast" adds human-like traits to a character without fully anthropomorphizing him into a full-fledged talking dog. The film also has an impeccable attention to detail that makes it feel especially cinematic. The light textures look better than ever for an animated film as "Feast" ingeniously blends warm glows and swathes of sunlight that make the mealtimes extra appetizing. Sound effects editing and mixing deserve equal billing along with the film's crisp, character-driven animation. A lovely, subtle score by Alex Ebert ("All is Lost") also accentuates the emotions at just the right moments, but the greatest triumph of this heartwarming short is how it cleverly lets the endlessly adorable face of Winston work as its best special effect. Winston's keenly observed body language clearly reflects Osborne's obvious love of dogs.
"Feast" is an animated short that knocks it out of the park, and lives up to its title in the best of ways.