unclefestering Blog

Under discussion:

Eat Drink Man Woman  (1994)

Big Night  (1996)

Mostly Martha  (2001)

No Reservations  (2007)

No Reservations is the American remake of the German movie Mostly Martha (2001). It has all the right plot points, but as the saying goes if it doesn't gel, it isn't aspic. This movie tries to make the point that cooking is about passion, but the passion never seems real. Other than cooking there doesn't seem to be anything that bonds Catherine Zeta Jones and Aaron Eckhart.

Many movies link food and passion. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) shows that life without love and passion is like a life without taste. Big Night (1996) shows that skill and passion turn food into art. No Reservation tries to make those same points, but fails to be convincing about them. I would reccommend either of those before suggesting you see this.

Under discussion:

North by Northwest  (1959)

To Catch a Thief  (1955)

For those who only think of Hitchcock as the master of thrillers, To Catch a Thief is sometimes considered a disappointment. But this movie has all those pure Hitchcock moments pulled off with his deft touch. This is a Hitchcock romance, so while there are dark touches here and there, it is light and fun.

Jesse Royce Landis is a great scene stealer as she would go on to prove with only a few scenes in North by Northwest (1959).

But the heat and tension between Grant and Kelly is the highlight of the film. She wants to love him but is afraid to trust him. He wants to clear his name and first see her a potential target, then a distraction and then as the main attraction.