And cooking . . .

I had the chance to watch No Reservations, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, and Abigail Breslin, today. I really liked it.

First of all, the movie is about two chefs. (You had me at, "Hello.") Kate (Zeta-Jones) is the executive chef at a tony New York restaurant. She is something of a control freak, and her work has become her life. Her sister (a single mom - the dad is nowhere to be found) and niece are coming up to visit, and enroute, they are involved in a car accident. The sister dies as a result, and she leaves her daughter Zoe (Breslin) to Kate. In the midst of this personal crisis, Kate must deal with a new sous-chef in her kitchen at work. Nick (Eckhart), an established chef in his own right, takes the job because he wants the opportunity to work with (and learn from) the well-respected Kate.

As Kate adjusts to being a mother, and as she tries to guide Zoe (and herself) through the tragedy of loss, a romantic relationship with Nick slowly develops. Kate finds herself confronting her own tendencies to sabotage love (she hasn't had a relationship in 3 years) while figuring out her new life.

While this script is no Oscar-winner, I liked the performances of all three principal actors. Plus, the movie is about two people who cook for a living, and food figured heavily in the scenes (which I can certainly appreciate). This is a nice dramedy about letting go and hanging on, and I enjoyed watching it.

P.S. If you love food movies, I can also recommend Babette's Feast; Like Water for Chocolate; Eat, Drink, Man, Woman; and Big Night. I enjoyed all of these films, and food is a primary part of the storyline in each.

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