Writers: Carol Fuchs, Sandra Nettelbeck (Mostly Martha writer)
Director: Scott Hicks
Cast: Catherine Zeta Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson, Jenny Wade, Bob Balaban, Brian F. O’Byrne, Lily Rabe, Eric Silver
Rating: PG
Studio: Warner Home Video
strong>Release Date: February 12, 2008
I don’t really like romantic comedies. I much prefer the films that have something else to offer, though if they happen to contain a romance within them, then that just happens to be okay. I wasn’t exactly sure what to think when I was given the opportunity to review No Reservations. For all intents and purposes, it looked to be a romantic comedy. I just hoped it wasn’t one of those substance-less, substandard, fluff pieces, which also happens to be known as chick flicks. You know the ones I’m talking about. They star some blonde, wannabe ingénue like Cameron Diaz or Mandy Moore. I really like Catherine Zeta Jones, so a Cameron knock off movie was something I seriously hoped Catherine had avoided.
Since my girlfriend, Ashtyn, is obsessed with the Food Network, I had the chance to see a special episode of Unwrapped. It showed scenes from the movie and discussed the cooking elements of the show. Every scene that was shown in preview of the movie seemed to be enjoyable. So, I decided to give No Reservations a try. What I ended up finding with this film was a simple, well told love story interwoven between high paced, New York careers, and the realities of living a mortal existence.
Release Information:
There was quite a bit of press about No Reservations before it actually made it into the theaters. The movie not only premiered on the Unwrapped special, just one day before opening in 2,425 theaters across the United States, there were also many interviews and talk show appearances by the cast members for the movie, leading up to its release. During its opening weekend, No Reservations netted around $12 million. This placed the film in the #5 spot for the weekend.
Warner Home Video released No Reservations in a standard DVD and Blu-Ray on February 12, 2008. It is available at all major retailers. On Amazon, No Reservations is also available in a download form. You can get the download for $3.99. The standard DVD will run you $19.99 and Blu-Ray costs $24.95. You can also purchase it at the WB website.
The No Reservations Plot
No Reservations is a remake of the German film Mostly Martha. Mostly Martha is a charming film, but remakes are typically not as good as the original film. While I don’t necessarily think No Reservations is comparable to its German predecessor, the American adaptation stands out on its own. It’s the simple story that is propelling the plot and the excellent acting, particularly by Zeta Jones and Eckhart, which drives the film. While it may not be the best thing I’ve seen this year, it definitely isn’t something I would turn off if it happened to be on my television.
In No Reservations, Kate (Catherine Zeta Jones) is a high-paced, perfectionist chef in one of New York’s top restaurants. People love her food (for the most part) and while Kate revels in the delight of feeding people who adore her, she doesn’t like being the one to go in to the dining room and talk to them about it. She’s more willing to confront a constantly complaining customer, such as the one who asks for more than one steak because they can’t get it rare enough for him. She ends up bringing out a raw steak to him, and asking if that’s rare enough.
Needless to say, the shocked customer and her ever appeasing boss, Paula (Patricia Clarkson) are not very pleased with Kate for her lack of couth. In the end, Paula makes Kate go to therapy to control her OCD, anti-social personality problems. What Paula doesn’t realize is that these things are what make Kate the amazing chef she is. Most chefs are tempermental and picky, so if Paula wants the best, she’s just going to have to put up with Kate.
At therapy, Kate constantly tries to avoid talking about her perceived problems. She’s happy with her life the way it is. She only goes to therapy to keep her job. The therapist is her guinea pig for all her new recipes, though occasionally he will get her to reveal things, like how she broke up with her last boyfriend because after years together, he wanted to get an apartment with her and she declined the invitation.
At work, Kate is respected and perhaps even slightly feared. Her sous chef, Leah (Jenny Wade) is pregnant and nearly ready to pop. She respects Kate’s authority, but Kate desperately needs to find a replacement for her before she goes into labor. Her personal life is pretty much absent of everything though her attractive, downstairs neighbor, Sean (Brian F. O’Byrne) has tried many a time to get her to go out with him. Kate has many rules she follows, and one is she doesn’t date men in her building. She isn’t the type to break her rules either, though something that will change her life is about to break all the rules for her.
Kate’s sister, and her niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin), who she doesn’t really get to see very often, are coming for a visit. Kate works that night and though she’s expecting them later, she receives a call at the restaurant. There has been an accident. Zoe is in the hospital and her mother is dead. It is up to Kate, who really has little experience with kids, to go to the hospital to see Zoe and deal with her sister’s death. When Zoe wakes up, she realizes her mother is dead. Kate really isn’t sure what to do to comfort her so Zoe deals with the grief on her own. Kate ends up having to take some time off work to get Zoe adjusted into life in her new apartment.
After Zoe is settled in, she decides to go to the restaurant just to check up on things. She leaves Zoe alone, but since the restaurant is just around the corner, she won’t be very long. I’m sure that’s what Madeline McCann’s parents said. Seriously, I attribute this to inability to know how to parent. When Kate gets to the restaurant, it is being run by the new sous chef, Nick (Aaron Eckhart). He has turned her kitchen upside down. He listens and sings opera while cooking and he wears comfy clothing on the job. Kate is furious and immediately dislikes Nick, who she believes wants to take over her kitchen.
At home, Zoe has barricaded herself in Kate’s bedroom and is fast asleep in her bed. After Kate tries to get her to eat, gets her in school, and tries to find her a babysitter, everything seems to go wrong. Zoe won’t eat anything. At first, I’m feeling her. Fish with head in tact isn’t my thing either. When Kate’s therapist suggests fish sticks, Zoe still won’t eat. She tells Kate she doesn’t have to try so hard. After Zoe’s babysitter leaves her alone (leaving halfway through the night of babysitting), Kate has no choice but to take her to the restaurant with her. Nick and Zoe hit it off immediately and he even gets her to eat, through trickery. With Kate grateful to Nick for helping her with Zoe, she starts to hit it off with Nick, herself.
No Reservations is predictable. It is cliché. It goes the path you assume it logically should follow. It also has some funny elements that make it worth watching. Catherine and Aaron have great chemistry that unfolds slowly and naturally on screen. You want them to get together because the characters seem perfect for one another.
I like the fact that the movie moved at a pace that wasn’t too frenetic. It went at its own leisurely speed. It took time for Kate and Nick to fall for one another and Nick recognized how Kate was, so he realistically sought out intimacy with her when he knew she wanted it, not just to try and force himself on her. Though she has a rule about dating men she works with, I’m pretty sure she was willing to make an exception for Nick. Overall, the evolution of this film was sweet, and this sweetness is what it will be remembered for, nothing more and nothing less.
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Audio/Visual:
The picture for No Reservations was beautiful. There was no grain, no visible compression errors or any other problems. Warner did a fantastic job with the transfer. Speaking of the transfer, it was done at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. It made the food presentation look excellent. It would make Emeril proud. The anamorphic widescreen enhancements added a lot to this set. The colors are bright, vibrant, and details are sharp. For those who wanted something different, and perhaps a bit duller, there is an optional 1.33:1 fullscreen format option on this disc. I prefer the anamorphic widescreen, but to each their own!
The sound for No Reservations was as good as the visuals. The Dolby Digital 5.1 English Surround sound mix handled all of the sound effects, music and dialogue perfectly. The 5.1 track is also available in both French and Spanish. There were no transfer issues, sounds came through clearly and I didn’t have to toggle the volume at all. Subtitles in all three languages (English, French, Spanish) are optional and are listed as a choice on your menu.
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Bonus Features:
I was disappointed with the extras, or lack thereof, for No Reservations. I had already seen the episode of Unwrapped, about the movie, when it aired on television. That is the only offering on this DVD. While it provides an entertaining look at the movie, if you’ve already seen it, like I have, you’re out of luck. This one only gets points because not everyone has seen this bonus.
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Bottom Line:
No Reservations was predictable, cliché, and sweet. The actors and their chemistry are what made this movie. While I’m not typically one to go for the romantic comedies, this is more than just a chick flick. It’s fun, somewhat realistic, and engaging. If you like Catherine I recommend purchasing this outright. Otherwise, you may want to rent this first to see if it really is for you.
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Technorati Tags: No Reservations, Catherine Zeta Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, DVD Review, Chef
