No Reservations

The word remake automatically sends shivers up my spine but occasionally a movie does benefit from reinterpretation.  So it is with No Reservations, the new version of the 2001 German film Mostly Martha.

Messing with a tried and tested recipe is risky - but what Australian director Scott Hicks and scriptwriter Carol Fuchs serve up is more satisfying than the original.

This time, our chef is the closed-off perfectionist Kate, who rules the kitchen of a well-regarded New York restaurant.

Kate’s world begins to crumble when her sister’s killed and she has to take care of her niece Zoe - a task for which she’s unprepared.  Her bereavement opens the way for her boss to hire a new chef to help her in the kitchen – a move Kate sees as a threat.

Although promoted as a romantic comedy, the well-made Mostly Martha was mostly maudlin. No Reservations lightens the mood.

It’s simpler than the original and adds some welcome twists. 

Catherine Zeta Jones is terrific in the lead. I loved her recreation of little details, the way she wraps her apron around her like a protective religious garment. What I would’ve liked - and Mostly Martha didn’t provide it either – is some insight into why she became so emotionally isolated in the first place.

Aaron Eckhart’s love interest Nick is a tad overcooked. An actor at his best playing the bastard, he initially tries too hard as a charming eccentric.  But when he simmers down, he and Zeta Jones complement each other nicely.

Meanwhile, the heartfelt tone is intact, with Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine herself – affecting as the understandably wounded Zoe.

Crucially, there are more laughs this time around - while Scott Hicks has added sugar to the recipe he mostly avoids treacle.

Cinematic comfort food for a wintry Sunday afternoon, I’m giving this 3 and ½ stars.