Lancoor A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

lord woodburry mostly Marta is a delicate tale about cultural conflicts under the veneer of European unity. Here comes Marta (Martina Gedeck), the imperious chef of a five star restaurant who rules the immaculate kitchen as her private fiefdom. Tragedy strikes. Her sister is killed in an Alpine accident and Marta inherits her niece Lisa as a ward.In the interim the restaurateur brought Mario (Sergio Castellitto) into the kitchen as sous chef. Mario is everything Marta is not: noisy, nosy, personable. The fat would be in the fire, but the restaurateur notes the change in taste of the well heeled diners for leaner foods.Can opposites attract before they destroy each other? The film is delicate throughout dealing with the knotty issues of cultural conflicts with great sensitivity.Mario: Why would (your niece Lina Klein) want to stay with her family in sunny Italy when she can return to cold and grey Germany to live there with a nut case like you? The film was remade and moved to an American milieu in NO RESERVATIONS. While Cathrine Beta Jones renders a bravura performance in the remake as the head chef, the remake is no match for the original.

hvandooren Bella Martha doesn't convince me. Martha, the frustrated top cook, is out of place in this role. As are the unreal clean kitchens, settings and props. No stains, no live, no love. The cooking doesn't make you wanna eat. The cast is so polished they are almost like window dressing dolls. When the little niece is in hospital she wears the make-up of a woman on a night out. Martha's counterpart is an insanely optimistic cliché Italian, who had to be dubbed (which is badly done). Then there is the incredible story of the rebellious niece who loses her mother (Martha's sister) and who is handed over to an totally unknown Italian father as if it were an Ebay-trade. Then there is the pointless appearances of next door neighbor Sam. Of course there is an happy ending after 90 boring minutes, In style with the movie: not convincing at all.

mljoffe Tight, emotionally taut, warm and cold in the right proportions.The acting especially of what's her name who plays Martha is on a par with Merly Streep who I believe is the touchstone for real movie actresses.Because the acting so completely conveys the feeling of the film it can be seen over and over again. There are no artificial cine tricks to break the emotional grip. Nor does the story have unnecessary scenes which could allow the viewer to lose the connection.The director has retreated from the scene and allowed the actors to convey the feelings. It is more like a live theatrical performance than a film.

Stephen-34 You have it now. Buy, don't rent this film. It's a keeper. Most notable and with great kudos to the director, the films stays true to itself almost all the way through. Far enough to beat out most other films. There are a few quibbles toward the end of the film, but not enough to shake off the aura it imparts just giving yourself over to its story.The camera moves efficiently and cleanly throughout the film, and the actors respond with clean understated action and dialog.The story is spare, and I found what I think is a clue to the writer's intention, as the protagonist describes the menu purpose of "Fish in Butter and Basil sauce." Listen for it and see if you don't agree, she is speaking to us about her story/film.To own this is, like Nurse Betty, to own something you just have to pull out and watch a couple of times a year. just because they're so darn good.No wonder the folks in H'wood are busy at making an American version for 2007.