Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Bella Martha" is an almost 15-year-old movie by Sandra Nettelbeck. As in all her works she not only wrote the film, but also directed it. Also it was her very first movie for the big screen. Since then, in her next 3 projects, she has worked with Michael Caine, Jane Alexander, Gillian Anderson and Ashley Judd. Not too prolific though as she makes only one film every four years and next year she will turn 50. "Bella Martha" runs for roughly 100 minutes and was so appreciated that they made a US remake a couple years later with Catherine Zeta-Jones in the lead role. Here, however, it's all about Martina Gedeck. She won the German Film Award and also the German Film Critics Awards for her portrayal here. Sergio Castellitto (the male lead, you may know him if you're Italian or have watched Narnia) and Nettelbeck herself also scored some awards recognition.Idil Üner and Ulrich Thomsen appear in smaller roles here and the rest of the cast is not particularly famous, but still all experienced German actors. Gedeck has been in "Das Leben der Anderen" and "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex" since then, but the child actress, Maxime Foesrte, here has not been in films for several years now. Maybe she is back to "normal life". Would be a shame as she shows some potential here. She plays the daughter of a woman who gets killed in a car accident and has to deal with her aunt as her new "mother" from now on. Obvious, as a big part of the film is about cooking, they won't miss out on the funny parts that Gedeck's character does not prepare spaghetti for the girl, but instead highly exquisite dishes or wants to show her in one scene how you make the perfect crème brûlée. Or another comedic highlight were her sessions with her psychiatrist. And then there's the more serious parts of dealing with death or finding ways to a more fulfilling life.Bella Martha is a good mix of comedy, drama and love story, smartly written and with good performances from everybody involved. Not much wrong with this film except the cheesy title perhaps. Recommended.

Imdbidia A German film that tells the story of chef Martha and the changes in her life and job after her orphan niece moves to her place and a new Italian chef joins the team in her restaurant. Love will be a catalyst in Martha's personal life, and also in the way she approaches food and her job as a chef.The movie is a nice mix of drama, romance, and "foodies" movie, with stereotypical characters: the flourish flirtatious Italian, the hard resilient cold German, and the rebellious troubled kid.The believability of the movie is heavily indebted to Martina Gedeck's performance as Martha and to child Maxime Foerste as her nice Lina. They both play with great conviction their respective hard characters. Sergio Castellitto is very charming as the Italian chef Mario, and plays his character with a mix of downgraded Italianism and Flourish Germanism, so to speak. The three of them have a great chemistry on camera and carry on the story well.Said this, I found that the romance story, although charming, was underdeveloped, while the struggling relationship with the kid was completely predictable and unoriginal. In fact this is just a traditional film recipe well carried on and well acted. However, the movie received an accolade of local and European awards and lead Hollywood to adapt the movie in No Reservations, adapting the plot to American tastes and turning it into a straight comedy.An enjoyable film with stereotypical characters and situations, and very good performances. Perfect for foodies!

spratton European cinema seems able to draw upon some excellent actors, who perform on screen without an audience thinking "oh, they are actors". This movie is witty, and painful, and musical ---- you will be humming or attempting the words of that Italian song! Martha the chef is workaholic in a way we all recognize and are not repelled by. Her scenes with the therapist are great comedy. The restaurant-kitchen scenes surpass anything I have previously seen in any movie --- thrilling, absorbing, completely enthralling. I don't know why Hollywood wanted to re-hash this top-drawer movie into a B-entertainment piece under a silly title. I have watched MOSTLY MARTHA perhaps six or seven times and will certainly repeat the pleasure. After I first saw it in a movie theatre, I walked out asking my companion "Why can't all movies be as genuine as this?"

dailyplanet "Mostly Martha" was a Netflix rental I did not expect to like as much as I did. First, there's the matter of the spoken language being German, with Engish only in the subtitles. Then there's the off-putting character of Martha herself, a restaurant chef who's both dismal and a certifiable nut case. Martha's stoicism breaks down only when her obsessive-compulsive side takes over as she combats chaotic outbreaks in the kitchen -- and in her life once her little orphan niece gets thrust into it.Martha's apartment reflects her personality in the spareness of its decor and grayed-down color scale. This is all about control, and Martha struggles mightily to keep it as her world tumbles down around her. How can this scenario be funny? Actually it is -- in an approaching-train-wreck sort of way. When Martha's boss brings a male Italian chef into the kitchen, all hell breaks loose. At first I found each of the main characters in this film almost painful to watch -- and yet as the story slowly unfolded, I was surprised to find lovable aspects in every one of these people -- particularly the laid-back Italian chef who proves to be an unexpectedly joyous ingredient added to the mix in the kitchen. Ultimately "Mostly Martha" is a lovely, life-affirming story and I tell you now this film is a jewel. You will come away from it feeling cheerier, with a greater appreciation of life in general. It's even more heartening to watch the second time around.