Isn't It Delicious is a thoughtful film for Baby boomers (and others) dealing with family end-of-life issues, as well as family dysfunction - including addiction and co-dependence. But that doesn't mean the film is a downer. The dialogue is sharp and crackles with intelligence. The principal actors -- Kathleen Chalfant, Keir Dullea, and Alice Ripley, as well as sharp-as-a-tack Malachy McCourt -- all bring depth and understanding to their roles, and Jonah Young stands out as younger brother Teddy. Although made on a shoestring, Delicious takes viewers on an emotional ride that quite a few more accomplished filmmakers seem unwilling to undertake. The director, MIchael Kelly, executive producer Alfred Caiola and producer Suzanne Hayes, have worked intelligently with the material to create a rich and satisfying film experience.

Writing this review I should disclose right off the bat that I am an old friend of Michael Kelly's, and knew him to be a very talented filmmaker. I went into the screening at the Big Apple Film Festival expecting to see something really good, but I had no idea. Make no mistake about it—this is no art house movie. It's a major motion picture.It's hard to pick out particular performances in a movie where the acting is so uniformly excellent and the characters so consistently portrayed. Alice Ripley does stand out for her portrayal of the vacuous Caroline Weldon, giving the character a tremendous arc of emotional depth by movie's end.The exception here is Kathleen Chalfant's knock-it-out-of-the-ballpark portrayal of Joan Weldon, the matriarch of a dysfunctional family that is a cross between a Woody Allen movie and King Lear. Indeed, her interpretation is Shakespearian in its depth. The transformation of her character is spellbinding. What a tremendous actor! Credit must go to Kathleen Kiley's script. You know a script is great when you really hate all the characters ten minutes in, after which you can't wait to see what they do next. Michael's direction has given the script a Quentin Tarantino sheen which made the emotionally wrenching subject matter a lot easier for me to digest and extremely entertaining to boot.I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that I will be very disappointed if this film doesn't go on to play in movie houses across America. It's that good.

Caught this film at the Big Apple Film Festival, and what a wonderful surprise! Very expertly made with an absorbing script, and absolutely terrific performances from the entire cast. It should get wider distribution if for no other reason than Kathleen Chalfant's brilliant work, which is Oscar-worthy in my opinion. This is one of the best performances I've seen on film in years. She grabs this complicated, difficult character and imbues her with humor, humanity, and compassion... a real tour-de-force. This film has the feel of real life, with all the good and bad that implies. Rare to see family dynamics so honestly and believably drawn... it gives the entire ensemble a lot to work with. The direction is spot on, with some gorgeous cinematography and terrific pacing. Michael Kelly work miracles with his limited budget, and gets great performances from everyone, most notably Alice Ripley, Keir Dullea (how great to see him on film again!), Mia Dillon, Nick Stevenson, Suzanne Hayes, Alexandra Mingione, and Ger Duany. Funny and moving right to the final moment... don't miss it!

Do not miss this movie! It may be your neighbors next door or somebody we all know! It is beautifully filmed, and brilliantly written by Michael Patrick Kelly and Kathleen Kiley. Furthermore the main actors were truly "DELICIOUS"! Keir Dullea was right on the money, Alice Ripley was scrumptious and what an honor to see her act on the big screen after winning a Tony! Kathleen Chalfont was amazing, and has been seen last week on "Elementary" and "House of Cards." Ms. Chalfont is truly vivid in her dramatic/comedic performance as the lead with Mr. Dullea. Suzanne Hayes is so funny and fabulous! The brothers Jonah Young, was truly organic and lovable, while his brother Nick Stevenson and his wife were very NY WILD! It warmed the heart, made us all feel our own fears about life and death, and was a dysfunctional family trying to find out the truth. It was most realistic and riveting. It is on it's way to the masses!Michael J Slimak