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Ratatouille may have suggested that the kitchen is a perfectly acceptable place for a rat, but you won’t find any rats in No Reservations—because no rat would dare set foot in the kitchen at New York City’s 22 Bleecker. The head chef, Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones), runs a tight ship—and she has no patience for the server or the customer (or, I would assume, the rat) who steps out of line. She may not always be easy to work with, but she’s one of the best chefs in New York—and she absolutely loves what she does.
Kate is completely set in her ways—but everything changes when a car accident kills her sister and leaves her responsible for her niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin). The adjustment is huge for both of them—but when Kate decides to take some time off to spend time with Zoe, her boss, Paula (Patricia Clarkson), surprises her by hiring a new chef to fill in. The new guy, Nick (Aaron Eckhart), is quirky and fun—and Kate immediately hates him. But, with the help of Zoe and Nick, she soon begins to realize that change doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
When I heard about this remake of the German movie Mostly Martha, I was mostly apprehensive—because I saw Mostly Martha, and I liked it. And I know how American remakes tend to cut out all the things that made the story so magical in the first place. But not this time. Much to my relief, director Scott Hicks did a great job of maintaining most of the magic of Mostly Martha.
No Reservations is a heartwarming film about stepping outside your comfort zone. It’s a romantic story (though it’s somewhat lacking in the sensuality that comes through in Mostly Martha), but it’s also a story about a girl who has to deal with losing her mom and a woman who has no idea how to care for anyone but herself (much less for a kid who doesn’t seem to appreciate the gourmet meals she prepares).
Thanks to the film’s nearly perfect casting, it’s practically impossible not to fall in love with the characters. Eckhart is lovably goofy—and absolutely adorable—as Nick. Breslin, fresh from her Oscar nomination for Little Miss Sunshine, may not be quite as good as she was in Sunshine, but she still manages to be cute without being too obnoxious or cutesy. And I can’t think of anyone who could play a tough-as-nails chef with a soft, cushy center half as well as Catherine Zeta-Jones.
While the story fits rather neatly within the standard chick flick formulas, it’s sweet and funny and uplifting—so much so, in fact, that you won’t really care that, right from the beginning, you’ll pretty much know how it’s going to end. And that makes No Reservations one of my favorite feel-good movies of the summer.
DVD Review:
The DVD release of this tasty little film is surprisingly light on special features. Though it does include both full-screen and widescreen versions of the movie, it only has one extra feature: a special episode of the Food Network’s show, Unwrapped. In the 20-minute episode, host Marc Summers goes behind the scenes of the movie to talk to the stars and find out how they prepared for their roles. He also talks to the French Culinary Institute’s Lee Anne Wong, who discusses the menus she created for the movie—and she even shares one of the recipes. Sure, it’s not as thrilling as a star-studded special episode of Top Chef, but Food Network fans (like me) will enjoy the behind-the-scenes look.
The special feature may not make No Reservations worth adding to your DVD collection—but the movie itself definitely does. It’s the perfect movie to enjoy with a glass of your favorite wine. I recommend pairing it with a full-bodied Shiraz.
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