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No Reservations (2007)

Director: Scott Hicks

Time Out rating

Average user rating
7 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

A control-freak chef is forced to embrace chaos in this romantic comedy-drama based on the German hit ‘Mostly Martha’. Catherine Zeta-Jones is Kate, head chef at a glamorous restaurant in New York. With a routine of work, therapy and more work, she thinks her life is sorted. Enter Zoe (Abigail Breslin), Kate’s newly bereaved niece, closely followed by Nick (Aaron Eckhart), a free-wheeling Italian sous-chef who likes to sing opera and spill pasta. Kate’s struggles with Zoe – to her something of an alien invasion – invite some involving dramatic moments and some comedy. But Eckhart is the wrong choice for a romantic lead – there’s still a touch of the superciliousness that makes him such a great anti-hero – and the film goes for long stretches without either laughs or pathos. With its textbook sentiment and miscast adult leads, this suffers in comparison to the German original, which was genuinely – not Hollywood – quirky. Die-hard romantics may forgive it plenty; others may prefer to check out the original.

Author: Anna Smith

Time Out London Issue 1932: August 29-September 4 2007


User reviews of this film

  • Keith M Warwick said...
    Posted on Jun 13 2008 21:59 A big money star vehicle, this contrived, stagey and rather bland remake is a disappointing yawn.
    The leads lack sparkle and seem uncomfortable in their roles, and the whole piece appears clunky and filled with Hollywood artifice.
    What could have been a good movie No Reservations fails to invoke a semblance of dynamism and its sets look staged and fake.
    A B movie in A movie clothes - this one is a dud!
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  • dai chotomy said...
    Posted on Oct 29 2007 14:38 Very poor, formulaic and a waste of time. Was not able to stay till the end
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  • anonimous said...
    Posted on Sep 10 2007 18:19 i think this was an altime favourite it was funny, emotional and very touching. i loved watching this amazing masterpiece. what wounderful work
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  • x_eLLa_X said...
    Posted on Sep 04 2007 16:39 The film was alright, funny in some parts i would give it a 7/10
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  • cooldudette x said...
    Posted on Sep 03 2007 16:09 Heyz, x
    Saw this film was really good x
    Would defo see it again x :)
    10/10 ! *** x
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  • ????????????? said...
    Posted on Sep 02 2007 12:49 it was the funn iest of funny i have seen lots of films but this is the best
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  • Louise said...
    Posted on Aug 30 2007 15:24 I saw this film yesterday, it was an advance screening of it. I thought the film was very good i enjoyed it my fiance even did, although he was the only lad in the cinema. if u like your romantic comedy then go see it.
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