Thursday, 22 March 2001

Fast Food- Fast Women Film Review

Written by  Rochelle Furstenberg

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Directed by Amos Kollek
Starring Ann Tompson and James Harris

This is a charming romantic fantasy that takes place at two age levels. It portrays a young, spacey, good-natured waitress who works in a New York diner, and falls in love with a cab driver/hopeful novelist. The film revolves around the "comedy of errors," the chain reaction of misunderstandings that takes place between them. It allows director Amos Kollek to have fun cruising his camera over the New York scene. But in contrast to Woody Allen's loving depiction of upper-class New York, Kollek endearingly reveals the funky, lower class neighborhoods. He shows the very human and idiosyncratic, often sex-obsessed side of New York.

But his greatest sensitivity is reserved for the sixty-plus men who eat at the diner, discussing the fears that their bodies will fail them, confronting their loneliness. Each approaches his elder years in a different way. The more hale-and-hearty, live-it-up-while-you-can indulges himself with heavy carbohydrates and peek shows, while the quieter, more dignified man seeks companonship as well as sex. He decides to try his luck finding someone through the personals in the newspaper. He is fortunate to meet a lovely widow he deels he could love. Kollek juxtaposes the relationships between the younger and older couple. And while the younger couple must overcome personality quirks and objective mishaps, the older couple confronts fears germane to their age. The woman lies about her age and economic status for fear of rejection, while the man continually puts off intimacy, for fear that he won't be able to make it. It's been many years since he slept with a woman. At times this can be downright funny, as when she finally gets into bed with him, wearing her housecoat, so he won't be overwhelmed. The sensitivity that Kollek exhibits to the fears of a failing body, the problems of creating new relationships later in years is what makes this film an exceptionally poignant one.

Last modified on Sunday, 03 July 2011 12:08
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Rochelle Furstenberg

Rochelle Furstenberg

Rochelle Furstenberg has been writing and magazine editing for more than 30 years. She has a master's degree in Philosophy and studied toward a doctorate in English Literature before launching her career in journalism, with a focus on the arts and contemporary culture, women's issues, and religious and social topics. She has published in The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Hadassah Magazine, The Jerusalem Post and elsewhere. Rochelle is married, with children and grandchildren. She was the director of the WholeFamily Senior Center during the year 1999-2000.

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