Many of us who find great pleasure and safety in the illusion that we can control our lives by abiding to a strict regimen of rules, routines, and practices. But life is full of surprises and we are often sent in new directions by changes we never imagined. That is exactly what happens in No Reservations, a Hollywood adaptation of top-drawer German film, Mostly Martha written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck. Scott Hicks, the director of this version, has adhered very closely to the original story with only one major plot detail wisely left aside. Although No Reservations is worth seeing, it lacks the zip and the fine delineation of character of the German version.

Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is the chef at an upscale Greenwich Village restaurant. She is queen bee in the kitchen and a perfectionist, who keeps all who work with her on their toes. Sometimes Paula (Patricia Clarkson), the restaurant owner, orders her to venture out into the dining room to accept the praise of customers who are enchanted with her skills in the culinary arts. But she is appalled when Kate overreacts to any criticism of her cooking. That's why this master chef is now seeing a therapist (Bob Balaban) but instead of talking about her problems dealing with people, she cooks samples for him and talks about her views about food. Kate has not dated for years and she puts a damper on the advances of Sean (Brian F. O'Byrne) by telling him she never goes out with people in her building.

Given the pressure of her job, Kate is really thrown for a loop when her sister is killed in an automobile crash; a single mom, she had told Kate that if anything happened to her she wanted her to raise her daughter Zoe (Abigail Breslin). This nine-year old really misses her mother and finds it hard to adapt to a new life with Kate who gets up at dawn to choose fish at the market and works late into the night. Kate's fancy meals do not appeal to Zoe, and Kate soon falls into a funk about her lack of parenting skills.

Ordered by Paula to take some time off from the restaurant to deal with her grief and her new responsibilities, Kate is shocked when she drops by and discovers that there is a new sous chef, Nick (Aaron Eckhart), a fun-loving young man who likes to crack jokes and listen to opera while working. He actually took the job in order to work with Kate, but she sees him as a threat and gives him the cold shoulder. Zoe, however, really likes Nick and even eats the food he prepares when she visits the kitchen. She sets up a date between Kate and Nick, which turns into a surprisingly pleasant evening. Although their personalities are very different, they share a love of cooking, food, and the sense of taste.

It is fascinating to watch Kate slowly open up her life to Zoe and Nick after years of being shut-down. They are fun-lovers, and she begins to see that she has missed out on the many joys that can come from simple things like pillow fights, riding bikes, and playing board games. Once Kate realizes that she has no control over her life, she is on the path to transformation. It is an old and universal story but one that bears many tellings.


Special features on the DVD include "Unwrapped": Host Marc Summers visits the set and talks to the film's stars for an episode of his Food Network series