3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Losing' Pounds Isn't Altogether The Purpose, 'Gaining' His Life Is., January 26, 2012
This review is from: Lbs. (Amazon Instant Video)
This Independent film was a standout at the Sundance Film Festival, also an Official selection. It definitely deserves this distinction. Written and directed by Matthew Bonifacio, it's a newer spin on an age old 'problem'. The topic at hand would be that of food addiction. There isn't anything really new to that but in the way it is looked at and handled. It's phenomenal.
Neil (Carmine Famiglietti acts and co-writes this) is a very rotund man, living at home with his Italian parents and working for his father. His mother enjoys taking care of Neil and especially feeding him and worrying about him at the same time. He has a sister (Theresa) who is readying herself for her marriage. She also loves him very much and smothers him also. Her fiance (Anthony) is much less forgiving of Neil's, at times, selfish manner. He goes a bit overboard in the other direction with Neil, teasing him because of his weight and because he is just an undesirable person himself.
The most influential person in Neil's life would be his best friend Sacco. Although he is a using drug abuser he still remains a big part of Neil's family, and his personal confidant. Neil's life is seen through the New York Italian neighborhoods, with their dialect and eateries. One of these places Neil frequents often and they know him well, is "Vittorio's Pizzeria". They serve up HUGE portions of spaghetti, pizza, pasta and all Italian fare, just like Mama.
Neil eats in abundance and runs to food when he isn't hungry (per se). He uses the food as others may use a drug or other self-medicating tools like alcohol. There comes a point of emergency when Neil is faced with his extreme weight issue. Instead of confronting it at this time, he has Sacco 'smuggling' foods into his room, while he appears to be following Dr.'s orders. Neil's eating is out of control at this time, invading the lives of others and hurting himself, his sister and parents. He must make a change, he is so smothered and enabled in the familial house that it is suffocating him. Consequently he leaves New York City to look for a place in the country, finds one and purchases it. Neil does not allow his family to know where he has gone, afraid to be swayed back to his old life and issues. This decision causes much pain, worry and concern for the family-especially Mama.
He is now living in a large wooded area, complete with a small lake, in a very small trailer with no heat in the winter. He is forcing himself to seperate from those who allow him to bulldoze them and is seeing just how rough this is going to be to kick. At first Sacco is there trying to withdraw from his own addiction. Deciding after a bitter fight that he will go his own way, he leaves. Neil becomes personal friends whith the seller of the property, many of the rural people and especially a woman named Lara.
Lara is getting divorced and needs a good friend of her own. The two of them have many talks, walks and develop a caring friendship. She teaches Neil how to fish, even how to ride a bike he had bought at her yardsale. Eventually Lara allows this friendship to turn into one intimate episode as she comes to the trailer during one night. This incident (in it's full conclusion) starting with the one night and what it invokes in Neil, and the cruel happenings after, ends in a horrible backsliding occurrence.
Neil takes his bike into town and orders $48.26 of food purchases at the local "BBQ Barn". He begins ordering in a sort of 'autopilot' way. The cashier and the cook are staring at him in disbelief of the quantity he's buying. The people in line are making comments, staring, even chuckling. This part is really showing the viewer just how people see this type of addiction in society, it disgusts them as a whole in the scene. There isn't a droplet of 'empathy' for this man who is in the throes of an extremely painful situation.
I'll leave Neil in the plot right here, as the viewers need to see for themselves how he resolves all the issues surrounding his life. Neil actually does start out in this film weighing in at 315 pounds--you will see where he ends up. Although the most important issue here is not the actual weight but in the way he handles his addiction to food. The movie is done with much familial humor, emotion and drama. It handles these with a fully developed story that is richly entertaining. The ways that Neil chooses to tackle his issues and life are brilliantly done.
In conclusion, I'll leave you with a quote from Neil to Sacco,
"No one is ever afraid of a fat guy, I'm 'non-threatening', no fat guy is gonna take your girlfriend. I'm a NON-FACTOR".
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