Mostly Martha-Movie Review 01/03/2012
Posted by Films to consider in Comedy, European Film Awards, German Film Awards, Light Drama, Mons International Festival of Love Films, Nantucket Film Festival, Romance, Sandra Nettelbeck.trackback
Mostly Martha (German) 2001
Bella Martha
Among other awards and nominations:
WINNER, Best Actor (Castellito); NOMINATED, Best Actress (Gedeck), European Film Awards
WINNER, Film Award in Gold, Outstanding Actress (Gedeck); NOMINATED, Outstanding Feature Film, German Film Awards
WINNER, Best Actor (Castellito); Best Actress (Gedeck); Best Screenplay (Nettelbeck); Grand Prize (Nettelbeck), Mons International Festival of Love Films
WINNER, Best Feature Screenplay (Nettelbeck), Nantucket Film Festival
Directed by Sandra Nettelbeck
Starring Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellito, and Maxime Foerste
Martha Klein (Gedeck) is a highstrung chef who is passionate about food and obsessed with her work. She becomes guardian to her eight-year-old niece Lina (Foerste) after Lina’s mother is killed in a car accident. Martha is used to life as a single woman, and their life together is hectic. While Martha tries to cope with her demanding job, her grieving niece refuses to eat or attend school. When an Italian chef named Mario is hired to fill in at the restaurant, his carefree approach to cooking distresses Martha, but he eventually wins her over.
While the plot is not too inventive, Gedeck and Castellito make the most of some funny kitchen scenes, and Maxime Foerste plays Lina with just the right touch of sullenness considering her situation. And, of course, the beautifully presented food dishes will make you hungry.
This film receives high ratings from viewers on IMDB, more so than the 2007 remake, No Reservations, with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, and Abigail Breslin, which I haven’t seen (and don’t necessarily plan to).
106 min. Rated PG
FILMS TO CONSIDER 
The remake with Katherine Zeta-Jones was well done. I’d rethink that, Dottie.
Joe D’Amato
[…] of several food-related films I’ve watched recently. Not outstanding (and not as good as Mostly Martha) but worth a […]