Family Dinner (4 Stars)

This is the tenth film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

"Family Dinner" is a highly original film made in Austria. I'm not sure how to rate it.

Simi is a 15-year-old teenager spending her Easter holiday with her Aunt Claudia on her farm, despite being advised against it by her mother. Claudia used to be married to her mother's brother, but divorced him and remarried. Does that make Claudia her ex-aunt? I don't know the correct way to describe her.

Simi has an ulterior motive. She's overweight, and her aunt has written a book about weight loss, so she's hoping for help. Claudia is happy to give assistance. The first step of Simi's diet is to eat nothing at all for six days. That would be easier if she weren't forced to sit at the dinner table and watch her cousin Filipp eat enormous portions of food. Claudia and her new husband Stefan are fasting for Lent, so everyone watches Filipp eat. Stefan is eating in secret and encourages Simi to do the same.

Filipp tells Simi that his mother abuses him, but Simi doesn't think it's true. Claudia seems to be a loving mother who always treats Filipp well.

There are repeated scenes at the dinner table, day by day in the countdown to Easter Sunday. It's difficult for me to say if it's a good film or not. I don't even know if I want to watch it again. It's unusual. I'd like to hear what my readers think about it.