Friday, April 28
Mostly Martha
dir. Sandra Nettelbeck, Germany 2002

This award-winning debut has been dubbed "a Bridget Jones for the culinary set". But beware of that. Nettelbeck's film is quite different — an angst-ridden yet amusing portrait of a cook (Gedeck) who, once out of the kitchen, has no life at all.

When her sister dies, leaving her with a little girl to look after, the result is havoc. The girl hates her. Then along comes a handsome Italian chef (Castellitto) who, slowly but surely, charms the child and then her.

The film is surprisingly unsentimental, partly because Gedeck holds it together with skill, and partly because Castellitto is genuinely charming. It is intelligent and often intriguing, and Gedeck is worth the price of admission alone. The food looks good, too. - Derek Malcolm, The Guardian