|
|
 |
|
Charismatic actors boil, but the plot barely simmers
• by By Russ Carr • Film still, No Reservations
|
 |
|
|
When you’re dining out, how important is the presentation of your meal?
Quality of plating usually is in direct relation to a restaurant’s prices. Dine at a high-end bistro and your plate looks like a work of art. Grab a sack from a fast-food joint and you’ll be lucky if what you unwrap has even a passing resemblance to the picture on the drive-thru menu.
Furthermore, a talented chef can make even icky foods look appealing by dressing ’em up, a winning tactic since Eve got Cain and Abel to eat their peas by arranging them into a smiley face.
This must have been the plan Scott Hicks had when he took on No Reservations, a new foodie rom-com: Make the movie as pretty as possible to deflect attention from its bland flavor.
No Reservations is an American remake of the 2001 German film released here as Mostly Martha, a by-the-numbers story of an uptight chef who begrudgingly discovers she has a heart after all. Plots like this happen all the time; I call them “Scrooge lite,” as the writers invariably ratchet up the Tiny Tim and distill the ghosts into an irreverent rogue of the appropriate gender. In this case, Catherine Zeta-Jones gets the Scrooge role, Aaron Eckhart is the well-chiseled upstart and Adorable Moppet Abigail Breslin is Tiny Tim.
Like I said, Hicks relentlessly worked the pretty for this. Zeta-Jones is chronically luminous, Eckhart’s cheekbones could be used as a miter box and Breslin ... is the Adorable Moppet. For nearly two hours, No Reservations keeps you face-to-face with these exceedingly beautiful people. The problem is there’s not enough at the heart of No Reservations to let it be more than a showcase for all the prettiness.
Zeta-Jones is Kate Armstrong, a celebrated chef at a small Manhattan bistro. She’s arrogant and controlling, or so we’re led to believe; Paula, the restaurant’s owner, has made Kate’s continued employment contingent on regular trips to a therapist (on whom she lavishes new menu ideas). Kate is bustling through a typical boisterous night in the kitchen when she gets a phone call; her sister and niece, en route to see her, have been in an accident. Kate’s sister dies, leaving her daughter, Zoe (Breslin), in Kate’s care.
And so the Adorable Moppet cracks her rigid aunt’s cold demeanor with a combination of indefatigable optimism and a smile that could illuminate the Mariana Trench, right?
Well, it’s not quite that sunny. In fact, Zoe’s a real downer for quite a while, drifting around in shock after her mom’s death. Aunt and niece stumble through their new relationship with very little humor and quite a few slammed doors, until a desperate Kate finally allows Zoe into her real life by bringing her into the restaurant’s kitchen.
But Kate’s domain has changed in the days off she’s spent trying to connect with Zoe. Paula (Patricia Clarkson) has brought in a new chef, Nick (Aaron Eckhart), to help out, and he’s quickly endeared himself to the staff with his laid-back attitude. Kate feels threatened by the talented newcomer, who further astonishes her by deftly bonding with Zoe.
At this point, the story kicks into full-blown Petruchio-and-Katherine mode, as the scoundrel woos the princess despite her protestations. Kate continues on her Dickensian journey as well, realizing that a life of bitterness and jealousy would make her a not-at-all-pleasant person and redeeming herself with apologies and a Christmas goose. (OK, actually it’s a saffron sauce.) Zoe (the Adorable Moppet, lest you forget) even gets in a “God bless us, every one” moment.
All the performances in No Reservations are good ones, though, again, the sex appeal of Zeta-Jones and Eckhart pretty well overpowers their acting. Two less-pretty people might have made the characters their own by digging a little deeper. Despite a couple of over-the-top flare-ups, Zeta-Jones’ Kate never comes off as a kitchen dictator; she’s possessive, but she’s no Gordon Ramsay. Meanwhile, Breslin walks off with pretty much every scene she’s in. When the script calls for her to dial back her Adorable Moppetness, she’s right there, exuding pathos that’ll make your chest hurt. Breslin makes it worth the cost of a ticket; she’s an amazing young actress.
No Reservations is pretty light fare, even with the heavy emotional baggage of the first third of the film. It’s a no-surprises romantic comedy that offers plenty of eye candy and an easy-breezy ending that leaves you smiling. But if you’re in it for the food, I’d recommend tuning in to the Travel Channel for Anthony Bourdain’s completely unrelated No Reservations, an often irreverent, always interesting culinary travelogue, where the food – and not the pretty people – is the star.
Not to suggest that (the exquisite) Jean Donnelly and (the handsome) Michael Roberts aren’t pretty people, too, but the exceptional menu at Atlas Restaurant is what most dazzles diners at this Central West End bistro. This husband-and-wife partnership brings a delicious European flair to the summer Atlas menu, highlighted by fresh local ingredients. Whether you’re looking for a full dinner on the patio – try the duck breast over mixed greens – or just stopping off for a glass of wine and an order of piccolo fritto at the bar, Atlas has you covered with a menu that is both pretty and unpretentious.
Reels and Meals Archive
View Complete Archive
|
|
|
|
