Bellyful

Bellyful

105 mins | Drama, Comedy | June 28, 2000

Maverick director Melvin Van Peebles translates his own satirical novel to the screen with this multi-national portrait of race, class, and hypocrisy. The film's title refers to the name of a haute cuisine restaurant run by a self-satisfied conservative couple, Henri and Loretta. When the two find themselves overworked in the kitchen, they retreat to the local orphanage to find some cheap waitressing help, and the teenaged Diamantine fits the bill perfectly. The haughty couple has more plans for the girl than just waiting tables, however -- the conspicuously accommodating Henri and Loretta are actually bad-mouthing the girl behind her back to the townspeople and the restaurant's patrons. They go so far as to ask the naive Diamantine to pretend that she's pregnant, and she complies under the assumption that it's a harmless prank. When their intentions are revealed, however, the girl becomes wise to the couple's self-satisfied scheming, and sets her sights on revenge.

Bellyful

105 mins | Drama, Comedy | June 28, 2000

Bellyful
Maverick director Melvin Van Peebles translates his own satirical novel to the screen with this multi-national portrait of race, class, and hypocrisy. The film's title refers to the name of a haute cuisine restaurant run by a self-satisfied conservative couple, Henri and Loretta. When the two find themselves overworked in the kitchen, they retreat to the local orphanage to find some cheap waitressing help, and the teenaged Diamantine fits the bill perfectly. The haughty couple has more plans for the girl than just waiting tables, however -- the conspicuously accommodating Henri and Loretta are actually bad-mouthing the girl behind her back to the townspeople and the restaurant's patrons. They go so far as to ask the naive Diamantine to pretend that she's pregnant, and she complies under the assumption that it's a harmless prank. When their intentions are revealed, however, the girl becomes wise to the couple's self-satisfied scheming, and sets her sights on revenge.
Producers Canal+, Katholieke Radio Omroep (KRO), Conseil Régional de Franche-Comté, Havas Images, Euripide Productions, Co-Productiefonds Binnenlandse Omroep, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), Harlekijn Holland BV, Les Voleurs d'Ombres, Accolade Productions
Original title Le conte du ventre plein
Directors Melvin Van Peebles
Writers Melvin Van Peebles

Cast

Andréa Ferréol

as Loretta

Jacques Boudet

as Henri

Meiji U Tum'si

as Diamantine

Claude Perron

as Blanchette

Frank Delay

as Lucien