I must admit to having Scott Hicks’ No Reservations catching me a bit off guard. I can’t exactly say I was a huge fan of the German film, Sandra Nettelbeck’s popular 2001 import Mostly Martha, but I did like and respect it enough to feel it didn’t need a Hollywood upgrade. The story was sweet and simple enough on its own, and the thought of a major studio remake wasn’t exactly a thing to set my heart afire.

Aaron Eckhart and Catherine Zeta-Jones cook up love in Warner Bros. No Reservations

So color me pleasantly surprised because Hicks’ version (written by freshman scribe Carol Fuchs) is easily the director’s best since his Oscar-winning 1996 opus Shine. It is a pleasantly diverting and emotionally captivating love story full of smooth enjoyment pretty much all the way through, and while I wouldn’t say it is going to go down as the greatest romantic drama of the year as far as matinee entertainments go a person could do a heck of a lot worse. 

Master chef Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is no-nonsense and doesn’t take kindly to incompetence (whether real or imagined). Her boss Paula (Patricia Clarkson) is getting more than a bit tired of her talented kitchen leader’s penchant for histrionics, forcing the woman into therapy in order to keep her job. She also hires a new freewheeling sous-chef named Nick (Aaron Eckhart). It’s almost more then Kate can stand, the only thing keeping her from walking out the door the fire in her belly telling her she’s the still the best person for the job.

But this drama pales in comparison to the tragedy that suddenly striking seemingly out of nowhere. A car accident has left Kate’s beloved younger sister dead and the woman’s 9-year-old daughter Zoe (Abigail Breslin) now in her care. The star culinary queen must now learn to navigate the multifarious recipes of career and motherhood, and while the young child isn’t quite sure about her new guardian’s ways or lifestyle that’s nothing compared to the chaos Kate has swirling along the fringes of her very own mind.

No Reservations is fairly straight forward. Driven career woman, sexy high-spirited new coworker, frightened child looking to be loved, add all three of these things together I’m pretty positive you already know the outcome without me spelling it out for you. This movie is as obvious and as routine as they come, and as Kate, Nick and Zoe cook their way towards something special I can’t exactly say I was shocked by a single moment of their journey.

And yet, this isn’t near as big a problem as you’d think it would be. Sure Hicks resorts to tired pop song montage clichés a time or two, and yes I could have done without Bob Balaban’s therapist character spelling things out in sickening food analogies, but as far as problems go these are actually relatively minor. While Zeta-Jones probably wouldn’t be my first choice to play this character she’s still awfully strong, while both Eckhart and Breslin add such solid support it’s exceedingly difficult not to root for the trio to find a way to work everything out.

As this is nothing but another love-struck New York fairy tale the answer to that question isn’t exactly a shock. But I enjoyed this movie, sometimes blissfully, much of it so expertly crafted I was actually a tiny bit shocked. From Philip Glass’ (The Illusionist) typically excellent score to Stuart Dryburgh’s (The Painted Veil) sumptuous cinematography, the film is if nothing else a feast for the eyes and ears. But No Reservations is more than the sum of these tasty parts, Hicks cooking a meal I wouldn’t mind savoring again. 

Film Rating: êêê  (out of 4)

Additional Links:

- No Reservations Theatrical Trailer