Bellyful (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 (Jacques Boudet) and Loretta (Andrea Ferreol). 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 (Meiji U Tum'si) 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. Set in late-1960s France, the film was shot entirely on digital video and then transferred to 35mm prints; Van Peebles composed the score himself. Le Conte du Ventre Plein was first shown as a special presentation at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi