1st Bite (2006) User Reviews (10)

Interesting idea, poor execution

[trailofdead · 3/10 · 6 October 2006]

I just saw this at the 2006 Vancouver international film festival. The synopsis in the festival guide sounded pretty good so we decided to check this one out. I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed.

Besides being poorly written, it was boring. I won't take away from the actors as there is not much they could do with this bad script.

First bite was cliché without being ironic, over the top seriousness without being funny. The movie would have been better had Hunt Hoe went with a campy horror feel. Instead he took himself to seriously and this resulted with a boring film. I can't recommend this film. It felt too long and all in all just plain weak.

chef takes leave to travel the south seas

[ksf-2 · 5/10 · 19 October 2015]

"Bite" has some very promising elements, but the script needed some major jazzing up. In a big way. The basic story is a good one, but the leads do and say many unlikely things. Lots of big, cheesy lines, but no-one has an ordinary conversation. The chef of an Asian restaurant needs to get away for a while, so he scoots off to the south seas islands. David La Haye is the chef "Gus", who is searching for someone, but nobody seems to know if the guy is dead or alive. On the island, Gus meets up with the very mysterious girl "Lake" (Napakpapha Nakprasitte). We're only fifteen minutes in, and we already have so many unanswered questions. Some beautiful scenery, some terrible karaoke, and still many unanswered questions. Interesting images; the smokey dance circles. Lighting ciggies from the same torches. the loud, obnoxious tourist. Lake quickly and expertly making a hair decoration out of a coconut shell. The little native boy's mysterious warnings. Written and directed by Hunt Hoe. Not much info available on him anywhere. He HAS written and directed several earlier projects. It's an engaging story, if you stick with it. Much strangeness. Has a pretty weird recurring theme... pretty freaky, but still a good story, if you hang in there.

Embarrassingly disappointing

[chicken_marengo1 · 1/10 · 6 October 2006]

I had the distinct displeasure of seeing this movie at the 2006 Vancouver International Film Festival. I have been attending this festival for over 5 years, and I have certainly seen some poor movies on occasion. However, 'First Bite' has reached a brand new low in film. In spite of being shot in beautiful locations, with the occasional, exquisite close up of fabulous food, the movie contorts an excessive number of plot twists and stilted characters until I was practically begging for it to end.

The lead actor, David La Haye, completely failed to show any character development throughout the movie, portraying a pompous chef from beginning to end. Additional sub-plots, such as eating disorders, were developed so poorly and completely did not fit within any context that the movie had shown up to that point.

A theme of mysticism was used as a poor attempt to conceal a movie that achieves nothing, goes nowhere, and completely disappoints.

1st Bite, actually.

[angelica2045 · 8 May 2007]

Hunt Hoe's film on food, love, and death references everything from folk tales to Barry White ("my first, last, everything"). Filmed in Montreal and on location in Thailand, Hoe manages to make a mountain out of a molehill, and in true form to his character (see previous works)he stretches his resources to create this thriller that is definitely not your average fare. Like the reoccurring motif of the delicious steamed fish dish and its preparation, the viewer's adventurous spirit will be nurtured. Part fantasy, part stereotype (not good or bad necessarily), 1st Bite is all entertainment. The filmmaker even makes a cameo appearance in his circular cautionary tale of killing and eating what we love.

Avoid !!!

[msoleil96 · 1/10 · 26 April 2008]

This film is so bad I can't believe it was actually shot. People who voted 10 or 9, 8 and even 7, are you insane? Did we really watch the same movie? Or the same sh** should I say. Everything is bad in this film. The story (is there a story?) is going nowhere, completely incoherent, the acting (some dialogs are simply just ridiculous), the music score (what the **** is that?), the editing, and especially the artistic direction, a pure disaster. Reminds me the old Macist movies... To give you an example of the amateurism of the production, the mermaid's costume is a sleeping bag with spangles sticked on it. I'm not joking, that's exactly what it is.

Another example of the enormous mistakes we find here: you see in a scene an extra, a fat woman of about 200 pounds, who's talking on her cell phone. The next shot, which is in a complete different location, you can see this same woman, still talking on her cell phone (!) Yes, it goes that far.

A big, huge, waste of money. Useless.

One stinky Pad Thai fish noodle of a film coming up!

[randy_kay · 1/10 · 7 August 2012]

Wow, I'm sure glad I read the reviews of this film before I bothered watching any more than I did. BTW, I think anyone who gave this more than 3 stars must have had a relative involved in it. I just wasn't sure where it was going at 1st bite, so I started watching even through what looked like a film students 1st bite attempt at a movie. I thought it was going to be a comedy at 1st bite, but then it just wandered off into a miserable, boring failure. It's too bad whoever was responsible didn't have the insight to see that it was going to end up as a disaster and then just turn it into a rip roaring campy comedy because damn, I'm sure with just a few twists this could have been a real rib-breaker and I truly mean that. The acting was bad but then the script and directing was terrible so it's hard to blame the actors. Leah Pinsent proves talent doesn't always run in a family but then again I was never a big fan of her fathers acting but I digress. Bottom line, don't waste your time. Truly, I mean it. It just reached the point in the film where an ugly Thai woman is about to give the main character his 1st bite cooking lesson. Thank god it just went to an ad; I will take that as a cue to not waste another minute watching this dead fish of a film. Wow, it said the budget was a million bucks. Just think how many starving people that could have fed.

Bon Appetite

[sirdigo · 10/10 · 22 April 2007]

This is a most refreshing movie. It's cross-genres style might turn off a few conventional viewers but for those seeking something different, they are in for a fun ride. The fable style film is well directed and acted. The Indian actor Dr Mohan Agashe ( as the new age guru ) and Thai actress "Mamee" ( as the diabolical seductress ) are fascinating to watch. And it's also refreshing to see Michael Ironside in a thinking man role than those that he plays so often in thrillers and sci-fi flicks.

The art direction of the film is breathtaking - from locations to the designed sets. And also the soundtrack is noteworthy- from the kiss-ass Thai rap to Arabi-Indian chants to haunting classical string pieces that resemble those of the old vampire movies... It goes to show that a lot could be achieved with ingenuity, without a Hollywood mega budget.

It's an inspiring use of food as a metaphor of spirituality for love and life. The mythological element is quite haunting and the voodoo serves as a black humour link throughout the film. I personally find using the usually typecast Asian woman as a diabolical antagonist daring and thought provoking.

To be fair, my friends and I agreed, after the screening made, that the filmmaker might have been too generous in his offerings - a bit overwhelming with all the details and senses overloads.. But in the end, after all the spices saturated, what we get is a spiritual tale that make you think about love, love, life... and yes, food.... Admit it, no matter if we are lovers, haters, winners or losers, we all eat food. And we all love good food. Take the 1st Bite. Bon Appetite!

innovative

[inlinda01 · 8/10 · 24 April 2007]

Like the film a lot. Don't know what to expect at first. It switches from comedy to action to horror to drama... That's the fun of watching this kind of film. But at the end, I totally love the roller-coaster.

It's very different in its approaches to many basic themes like love, food and soul-mates... and even Buddhism. The mythology element is pretty cool and though I'm not from Thailand, I find it very special. My friend from Taiwan told me about the Lovers Rock story which is quite similar to this. The "Full Moon" Party scenes are dazzling...

One should let go of the conventional expectation with "1st Bite"... Then you'll really see what the film can take you... Bravo!!!!

A fun ride

[clicly · 10/10 · 26 January 2009]

Saw this recently on PayTV and really enjoyed it. Didn't know what to expect but was presently surprised. The film was shot in Asia ( think is Indonesia or Thailand ), the Caribbean and Canada. The story reminds me of a lot of the folktales where I grew up on the islands. It weaves in a lot of stuff like voodoo, Zen, cooking, meaning of life, etc. The magical or fable element is refreshing. The photography is quite breathtaking. The Thai actress is very spooky. Her accent is a bit hard to understand. But thankfully, she is not saying much. The Indian guru is also quite funky. He's a bit like a witch doctor that you love but fear also. I also get a kick of the world-beat soundtrack. I am looking forward to getting the DVD when it comes out.

Zen

[alaking · 10/10 · 8 March 2008]

This is a very unusual movie. My girlfriend says it's a roller-coaster. I think it is some kind of X file meets Romeo & Juliet. Another friend calls this a cross cultural potluck fable. "1st Bite" is a movie of food, love and meaning of life. It has very layered messages and stunning visual. Go see it with opinionated friends and have a lively debate and discussion after. You either like it or hate it. This movie is a real trip. The soundtrack very eclectic. It feel strange writing all the above. Perhaps that is what Zen is all about. It fits and reshapes as life is. The Asian actors from India and Thailand are superb. The Western actors are competent and pale compare to the Asian ones.