(rated PG, 107 mins. German with Subtitles)
In a world full of celebrity chefs with cooking books and TV shows, Martha (Martina Gedeck) was a content chef of a chic German restaurant until her world is turned upside down. When Martha’s sister dies in an unexpected car accident, she must assume the care of her eight year-old niece, Lina (Maxime Foerste). We never know the depth of Martha’s relationship with the niece prior to this sudden situation but never the less, the movie suddenly changes courses when a lively Italian named Mario (Sergio Castellitto) is hired to help out while Martha’s busy mourning. (Of course in any Wolfgang Puck-American-hot-spot this would never happen!) A bit predictable and long-winded, the story of Martha the cook falls somewhere between undercooked and too many chefs spoil the soup. While the ingredients are all there for this charming movie, we never dig beyond the characters slice and dice abilities to find their soul.
In a world full of celebrity chefs with cooking books and TV shows, Martha (Martina Gedeck) was a content chef of a chic German restaurant until her world is turned upside down. When Martha’s sister dies in an unexpected car accident, she must assume the care of her eight year-old niece, Lina (Maxime Foerste). We never know the depth of Martha’s relationship with the niece prior to this sudden situation but never the less, the movie suddenly changes courses when a lively Italian named Mario (Sergio Castellitto) is hired to help out while Martha’s busy mourning. (Of course in any Wolfgang Puck-American-hot-spot this would never happen!) A bit predictable and long-winded, the story of Martha the cook falls somewhere between undercooked and too many chefs spoil the soup. While the ingredients are all there for this charming movie, we never dig beyond the characters slice and dice abilities to find their soul.