Movie Info

RATING:

PG for some sensuality and language.

GENRE:

Comedy

RELEASE:

July 27, 2007

STARRING:

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson, Jennifer Wade

DIRECTOR:

Scott Hicks

DISTRIBUTOR:

Warner Bros. Pictures

 

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MOVIE REVIEW

No Reservations

Movieguide Magazine

What's This?

CBN.com - No Reservations is a delightful movie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as Kate, a no-nonsense, straight-laced master chef at a high-end New York restaurant. Kate’s well-ordered life is suddenly turned upside down when her niece (Abigail Breslin) shows up and a new sous-chef (Aaron Eckhart) disrupts the sanctity of her kitchen.

Kate takes no prisoners when it comes to her cooking. She runs her kitchen with all the precision of a military operation. When Kate is not at the restaurant, she is either shopping at the local food market or creating delectable masterpieces at home. Kate’s lifestyle is simple, neat, and all that she thinks she needs. That is, of course, until her young niece, Zoe, comes to live with her after being tragically orphaned.

Finding herself a master in the kitchen and a novice in human relations, Kate must learn to connect and relate to her niece, who prefers freezer section fish sticks to Kate’s seared, lemon-crusted halibut. Learning to live and love another human being comes difficult to Kate, but, as Zoe tells her, “You don’t have to try so hard.”

Then, a new ingredient gets tossed into the mix. While Kate is away from the restaurant, her boss brings in a charming, yet unpredictable sous-chef named Nick. Nick and Kate quickly find themselves at odds with each other. However, after Nick connects with Zoe and becomes a sort of strong, male father figure to her, Kate decides to look past Nick’s brash presentation style. Once she does, she discovers that perhaps there is a hidden ingredient in him that may be just the perfect addition to her life.

Based on a delightful German movie named Mostly Martha, No Reservations is one of the most surprisingly refreshing movies to come along this year. Leaning more toward being a romantic drama rather than romantic comedy, the movie is filled with some very pro-family, wonderful, heart-warming moments. Although a bit predictable and somewhat clichéd at times, it still does not disappoint. The actors all deliver wonderfully genuine performances, most notably Abigail Breslin as Zoe. Her simple honesty will tug at the heartstrings of every moviegoer.

No Reservations contains a few cautionary elements worth noting. There are two light obscenities, one strong profanity and several light exclamatories, such as “My God,” etc. There is also some slight sexual content, including an implied situation where Nick stays overnight with Kate, as well as a few quick sexual comments. There is also a very brief, implied homosexual character in one montage sequence. These questionable elements require caution for children, especially younger children. That said, teenagers and adults probably will have few reservations about enjoying this movie.

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