No Reservations (2007)

No Reservations (2007) is a movie that has different aspects to it. It's ONE story with MANY layers. I personally consider it a family based drama above anything else, but it is also a romance, then, its sprinkled with some comedy here and there. And I love that this movie has many layers to it, I think it makes it stronger overall. There's a little something for everyone here. The cast handles their roles very well, I think every cast member was perfectly cast and they are all accomplished actors so it's no shocker that they give fine performances. Catherine Zeta Jones (Chicago, Mask of Zorro) was excellent, you can feel her pain and every single emotion her character is feeling through her performance. Just the same, you can do the same with Aaron Eckhart. Also, Abigail Breslin, who showed incredible talent at such a young age, does a great job with her role. Everyone's chemistry is so spot on too. Eckhart and Jones have electric romantic chemistry, I loved the well filmed somewhat love scene between the two. But their chemistry is not limited to the physical, their dialogue between one another and how they relate and form a connection is wonderful to watch. That's another thing, the film's writing. I found that the writing worked because it showed the audience what the characters were struggling with, it gave them depth, which made it so much easier to relate to them and to care about what happened to them. All in all, this is a lovely story to watch. 10/10! Highly recommend!

For anyone who hasn't seen the 2001 German film, "Mostly Martha," this movie will pass as a good story. But, those of us who have seen the original have a standard with which to compare. Thus, my rating of six stars for "No Reservations." The performances here are okay, with even more humor written into this all American version. But, that's precisely one of the big drawbacks to this film compared to the original. In "Martha," much of the substance of the film flowed from the differences of two countries – Germany and Italy. The principal characters fit that scheme. But the biggest aspect is the seeming naturalness of the original film. It was an original story and it seemed to flow naturally. Whereas, one is more aware of the acting in this movie. Naturally, the script has some changes as well. But, this movie is never able to bring out the nuances of Martha from the original. Kate, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, doesn't seem to be the same intense, then conflicted, and gradually warming character. And, Aaron Eckhart's Nick seems more of an amiable, good-hearted character – a nice likable guy one might see in any restaurant kitchen. Rather, in "Martha," Mario stands out as a character in the Hamburg kitchen. Sergio Castellitto played the part as a foreigner who nevertheless knows his business and is welcomed. Again, this isn't a bad film. Most people will enjoy it. But for those who have seen the original, it comes across as very light and just so-so.

So upon having to watch this film while both my teacher was out sick and I was in class sick, I really didn't expect much all things being considered. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie's ability to bring up emotions.Won't bother explaining the basics of the film since you can get that straight from the description. What I will say is that although it doesn't have the deepest story or background, it is charming. It will make you feel legitimately happy or sad for the characters and smile at some of it's quirkier moments.Being a romance film, it obviously has the downside of being fairly unrealistic, at least in my opinion. Everything centers around romance in some way and it seems a bit more like a dream that belongs to the girl in high school that works 24/7 to over achieve and yet never gets little affection, so that did leave a bad taste in my mouth when looking back on it.It's something to watch when you have a cold since emotions are the only things you can feel when sick. It's also something you only need to watch once to fully enjoy.If you have the time then go ahead and watch it, but if you're looking for something that will keep you thinking or sitting on the edge of your seat, you're in the wrong place.

The central relationship walks on well trodden ground - some friction and to and fro, a resistant woman eventually gives in to charm, they get together, then they break up before the finale where they amazingly reunite. Typical Hollywood tripe. Everything about the relationship and the adoption was lifted out of a manual. But the worst part of the movie was the meandering silences - in total the movie had about 10 minutes of actual dialogue, the rest of the time we watched with overlaid music as the characters wandered around performing everyday tasks failing to emit any emotions that added value to the plot. Largely forgettable fare.