Product Description: A perfectionist chef addicted to her work struggles to adjust when her sister passes away leaving her with a little girl to raise and a new soup-chef threatens to take over her kitchen with his high-spirited and free-wheeling ways.Running Time: 104 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/ROMANTIC COMEDY UPC: 085391139072 Manufacturer No: 113907
Amazon.com: Achieving balance in one's life can be a difficult process, but master chef Kate Armstrong (Catherine Zeta-Jones) leads a regimented, very ordered existence running the kitchen of an exclusive restaurant and revels in the sense of power and control her career affords. When Kate's sister is unexpectedly killed in an automobile accident and her 9-year old niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin) comes to live with Kate, Kate's life is turned completely upside down and she is suddenly forced to split her focus between work and family. Enter a newly hired, fun-loving, opera-singing sous chef Nick Palmer (Aaron Eckhart), whom Kate perceives as a serious rival, and thus begins an impassioned struggle on Kate's part to rein in Nick's exuberance and maintain control over her kitchen staff. Even as they clash, Kate is inexplicably drawn toward Nick, eventually coming to the realization that Nick offers something that she needs both in her restaurant kitchen and her new life with Zoe. Based on the screenplay for Mostly Martha, Catherine Zeta-Jones carries the lead well in this romantic comedy and there's a nice chemistry between herself and Aaron Eckhart as well as a poignant performance by Abigail Breslin. And, of course, and the food looks simply scrumptious. --Tami Horiuchi
Not the typical story. I understand that not everyone liked this movie. It's not the typical cheary everything is going to be all right movie. It shows how not everything is easy. It's not the typical happy ending. But it leaves you knowing that everyone is going to be ok, and eventually it does all work out.
No reservations here I guess I'm glad I never saw the foreign version of this movie because I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a sweet movie with a good overall story line. Aaron & Abigail were great in it and Catherine did a decent job too. As a wannabe foodie, I also enjoyed all the focus on the food. I actually had not heard much about this movie and I know the reviews were not stellar so maybe that's why I was pleasantly surprised by it.
Enjoyable movie This is a movie with humor, pathos, and romance. Catherine Zeta-Jones is great as the perfectionist chef, Kate, and Aaron Eckhard is charming as her costar in the kitchen. Abigail Breslin as the orphaned niece is very believable. This movie reminded me of An Unexpected Life, in which Stockard Channing is unprepared--but still forced--to take in her sister's children and then falls in love with them as she realizes the inestimable value of the children. A more humorous version of this story line is Baby Boom with Diane Keaton, which is completely delightful. No Reservations allows Kate to find out that there is more to life than being at the top; family is what makes success worthwhile. My only disappointment is in the DVD's feature--an episode of Food TV's "Unwrapped," about this movie. Would rather have seen the usual commentary about how the movie was made.
Expected more! With such a good cast, I expected a knock out, romantic comedy. Turned out to be a depressing movie with some light heartedness, humor and romance. Don't be fooled by the cast or reviews. That seen where she slams the raw steak on the customers table, is actually part of the ending.
2 Thumbs down!
Lackluster imitation Skip this one and rent "Mostly Martha" instead - bite the bullet, read the subtitles. It's worth it. "Without Reservation" is, without reservation, only a shallow imitation of the superb German film, starring the stellar Martina Gedeck (The Lives of Others). Together, with a equally great supporting cast, the story comes alive, not forced or contrived. "Without Reservation" does little or nothing to engage the viewer except maybe for the palate.
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