No Reservations is the type of romantic film that has been done numerous times. This adaptation of Sandra Nettleback’s 2001 German feature film Mostly Martha is updated with a few trendy ideas from director Scott Hicks and screenplay writer Carol Fuchs.
In most cases, romance and fine food equal happiness. In this romantic dramedy, Kate Armstrong (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is the head chef of a Greenwich Village restaurant and isn’t very happy. She’s considered a perfectionist at her chosen profession, and the film underscores this by showing us lots of shots of food, perhaps more than necessary because the real story is about how the characters overcome adversity.
Kate’s perfect little world falls apart when her sister dies in a car accident and she must care for her pre-teen niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin). This affects Kate’s performance at work, and her manager lets her know this by hiring the free-spirited Nick Palmer (Aaron Eckhart) to assist her in the kitchen. Kate and Nick are opposites, which makes for a good romance angle, and the two veteran actors play off each other extremely well. Abigail Breslin works well here with her co-stars and does a good job of portraying the misguided and grief-stricken child.
What helps this film come to life are the subplots. One subplot concerns Kate’s downstairs neighbor Sean (Brian F. O’Byrne), who happens to be divorced and who has been trying to score a date with her. He manages to give Kate advice on raising a child, noticing that Zoe doesn’t feel comfortable living in Kate’s hectic world. Sean has weekend custody of his sons and has a handle on such things. The other subplot involves Kate’s therapist (Bob Balaban) who enjoys their sessions because he gets to try out new dishes Kate is developing for the restaurant. These stories provide some substance for the otherwise one-dimensional plot.
I guess this movie could be considered a decent date flick, and as predictable as it may be, it delivers a good romantic tale. And let’s not forget the fact that the audience is treated to the sight of some fantastic food.
Directed by: Scott Hicks
Running time: 95 minutes
Release date: July 27, 2007
Genre: Romance, Drama and Comedy
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Article comments
1 - bliffle
Watch "Mostly Martha", the original, instead. No Reservations is MM with the charm removed.