Food of Love (2002)

Director:

Ventura Pons

Writers:

David Leavitt (novella "The Page Turner")
Ventura Pons

Release Date:

8 February 2002 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Plot:

Paul, a handsome and talented music student is employed as the page-turner at one of the world famous pianist Kennington's concerts in San Francisco...

Plot Keywords:

Pianist | Music Student | Page Turner | San Francisco California | Teenage Boy

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Juliet Stevenson	...	Pamela Porterfield
Kevin Bishop	...	Paul Porterfield
Allan Corduner	...	Joseph Mansourian
Paul Rhys	...	Richard Kennington
Craig Hill	...	Izzy
Leslie Charles	...	Tushi
Pamela Field	...	Diane
Naím Thomas	...	Teddy (as Naïm Thomas)
Geraldine McEwan	...	Novotna
Mingo Ràfols	...	Waiter
Roger Coma	...	Receptionist
Pepa López	...	Gypsy
Mauricio Cruz	...	Hector (as Mauricio De La Cruz)
Manu Fullola	...	Hustler
Carlos Castañón	...	Alden
Hernán González	...	Zenon
Brenda Roque	...	Student #1
Helenika Hellevig	...	Student #2
Marianne Choquet	...	Enid
Sue Flack	...	Carolyn
Jack McKusay	...	Boyfriend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Miquel Bordoy

Directed by
Ventura Pons

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Leavitt		novella "The Page Turner"
Ventura Pons

Produced by
Gemma Folch	....	associate producer
Monika Ganzenmüller	....	associate producer
Ventura Pons	....	producer
Petra Schepeler	....	associate producer
Aintza Serra	....	line producer
Michael Smeaton	....	executive producer (as Mike Smeaton)
Thomas Spieker	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Carles Cases

Cinematography by
Mario Montero		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Pere Abadal

Casting by
Pep Armengol
Leo Davis

Art Direction by
Bel·lo Torras

Set Decoration by
Mercè Parés

Costume Design by
María Gil

Makeup Department
Patricia Abril	....	assistant makeup artist
Patricia Argila	....	assistant makeup artist
Maru Errando	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Chris Bongirne	....	unit manager: second unit, US
Valentí Closas	....	production manager
Guillermo Escalona	....	production manager: third unit, US
Jon Kuyper	....	production manager: second unit, US

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pepe Combalia	....	third assistant director
Salva Ferrer	....	third assistant director
John Kramer	....	third assistant director
Fernando Trullols	....	first assistant director
Gerard Verdaguer	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Pere Carreras	....	art director assistant
Miguel Ángel Delgado	....	art department runner
Leopoldo Diaz	....	art department runner
Elis Ferrer	....	property master
Pedro Gaspar	....	set builder
Artur Montfort	....	graphic designer
Vicky Polls	....	graphic designer (as Viky Polls)
Nerea Torrecilla	....	props assistant
Carles Valero	....	art department runner
Toni Vidaechea	....	art department runner
Peio Vizcaya	....	set dresser
Sandra Álvarez	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
David Casamitjana	....	sound engineer
Daniel Espinet	....	sound mixer (as Dani Espinet)
Enric Espinet	....	sound mixer
Manuel Lizancos	....	sound effects (as Manolo Lizancos)
Marcos Martínez	....	sound engineer
Natxo Ortúzar	....	boom operator (as Nacho Ortuzar)
Jaume Puig	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
David Pérez	....	sound engineer
Núria Rubió	....	sound runner
Joan Vidal	....	sound engineer
Boris Zapata	....	direct sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Blanca Anunzibay	....	clapper loader
Tito Arcas	....	electrician
Javier Arrontes	....	focus puller
Arsenio Assin	....	clapper loader: third unit
Andrew Bowley	....	director of photography: second unit, US (as Andy Bowley)
Chano Cabillas	....	clapper loader: third unit
Santiago Casado	....	crane operator
Menna Fité	....	assistant Steadicam operator
Javier González Leonardo	....	assistant grip (as Javier González)
Marc Hillygus	....	assistant camera: US second unit
Dani Jareño	....	electrician (as Daniel Jareño)
Robert J. Lyons	....	director of photography: third unit, US
Joan Morató	....	Steadicam operator
Segismundo Mulero	....	key grip (as Mundo Mulero)
Poli Ramiro	....	gaffer
Toni Romero	....	video operator
Pere Selva	....	still photographer
Ismael Sánchez	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ángela Casillas	....	seamstress (as Angela Cassillas)
Nuria Clanchet	....	wardrobe assistant
Susana Loureda	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
José Calderón	....	negative cutter
Manolo Millán	....	color timer

Music Department
Joan Alfaras	....	musician: second violin
Oriol Camprodón	....	musician: clarinet solo
M. Ángels Cases	....	musician: second violin (as Angels Cases)
Gabriel Coll	....	musician: first violin
Gonçal Comellas	....	conductor
Anna Comelles	....	musician: cello
Miguel Ángel Cordero	....	musician: double bass
Miguel de Córdoba	....	musician: first violin (as Miguel Córdoba)
Maria Victòria Fernández	....	musician: first violin
Nuria Freixanet	....	musician: first violin
George Leyva	....	music producer (as Jorge Leyva)
María Morera	....	musician: viola
Josep Pazos	....	musician: cello
Carles Puig	....	musician: second violin
Josep Lluís Pérez	....	musician: piano solo
Marta Ribas	....	musician: viola
Ferran Saló	....	musician: viola
Ferran Torrents	....	musician: oboe solo

Transportation Department
Toni Bedía	....	driver: electricians truck
Manuel Caro	....	driver: generator truck
Joan González	....	driver: wardrobe truck (as Joan González Ledesma)
Isidro Martínez	....	driver: generator truck
Juan Orduña	....	driver: camera truck

Other crew
Albert Allué	....	production runner
Jon Ayastui	....	security officer
Núria Casanueva	....	script supervisor
Guille Cascante	....	making-of (as Guillem Cascante)
Barbara Celis	....	production assistant: third unit (as Barbara Celis D'Amico)
Guillem Cobo	....	third production assistant
Ramón Codina	....	production coordinator: third unit
Amelie Deturckheim	....	assistant: Juliet Stevenson
Dámaso Elkoroiribe	....	security officer
Joan Estrada	....	press agent
Marc Gardeta	....	production runner
Iván Gómez	....	first production assistant
Gahan Haskins	....	location manager: second unit
Jordi Inglada	....	stand-in
Michael Jennings-Offen	....	stand-in: second unit
Jessica Junyent	....	international production coordinator, second unit, US
Luci Lenox	....	production coordinator
Gabriel Malaspina	....	security officer
Jerónimo Marchioni	....	security officer
Joan Carles Martel	....	stand-in
Ramón Martos	....	laboratory director
Jessica Montaner	....	third production assistant
Artur Montfort	....	title designer
Francesc Navarro	....	production administrator
Amber Ockrassa	....	dialogue coach
Pep Pagès	....	labor consultant
Vicky Polls	....	title designer
Jordi Pérez	....	stand-in
Bernat Rifé	....	production runner
Violeta Roca	....	second production assistant
Neus Suñé	....	stand-in
Ester Velasco	....	production secretary

Thanks
Anna Azcona	....	thanks
Thomas Burberry	....	thanks
Martí Cornaut	....	thanks
María Delgado	....	thanks
Josep Fons	....	thanks
Joan García Llach	....	thanks
Francesc García Planas	....	thanks
Henry Little	....	thanks
Antonio Miró	....	thanks
Montserrat Parés Alavedra	....	thanks
Richard Peña	....	thanks
Josep Pons	....	thanks
Inés Rodríguez	....	thanks
Phylis Rose	....	thanks
Rosa Maria Sardà	....	thanks
Jacint Todó	....	thanks
María Torrontegui	....	thanks

Production Companies

• 42nd Street Productions S.L.
• Els Films de la Rambla S.A.
• FFP Media Entertainment
• TVC
• Televisión Española (TVE)
• Vía Digital

Distributors

• Laurenfilm (Spain)
• PPR Films (2004-2007) (UK)
• Salzgeber & Company Medien (Germany)
• TLA Releasing (USA)

Other Companies

• D.J. Sound  sound equipment
• Dominion3 Public Relations  unit publicity
• Enelmo  generator
• Hand Held Films  camera equipment
• Montaje de Mozart  sound editing
• QT Lever  sound studio
• Sadilsa  lighting equipment

Also Known As:

"Page Turner" - Japan (English title) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Spain | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13 | USA:R | Germany:12 | Australia:MA

Company:

42nd Street Productions S.L.

Soundtrack:

C Major Trio

Accents, Locations, Etc.

Here is the most apt example I've seen lately in which everything is just a bit off the mark. Although I'm not familiar with Leavitt's novel, I have read other pieces of his work and find it equally uneven. For example, his central theme here of music being the "food of love" (one of Shakepeare's most quoted lines) just never reaches a level of complete fulfillment within the context of this often pretentious and sappy melodrama. Although the original title ("The Page Turner") implies a subtle judgment that the main character is doomed to eternal mediocrity, and opening scenes of the film confirm that hint, "Paul" is nevertheless forced upon the audience as a worthy protagonist whose professional and personal fate is vitally important. That kind of maybe-he-is and maybe-he-isn't paradigm is plain confusing, and it shows. Plot weaknesses are also apparent throughout. Similarly, the very high production values of the movie are constantly being undercut by laughable presumptions that an American audience could ever accept British actors straining to sound correct in their roles within an obviously European setting being palmed off (sorry) as California. Or am I being too picky? Geraldine McEwan as a Czech (?) piano teacher sounds exactly like Robin Williams playing Mrs. Doubtfire. And Juliet Stevenson comes across as a sort of über-California caricature. Moreover, the background scenes of New York are clearly scissors-and-paste.

Be that as it may, I give this one a 7 out of 10 for showing Barcelona as not only a fascinating place, but also as an excellent locale for making a movie.