Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Wyatt There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

SimonJack This is a marvelous film with a wonderful story filmed mostly in Germany, and in German and Italian languages. English subtitles make it easy to follow this drama and comedy romance. What does Martha Klein know about raising children? She barely has been an aunt – just seeing her sister and niece, Lina, occasionally. Martha is a master chef. She's the "second best" chef in Hamburg, Germany, according to her boss, Frida, who owns Lido. That's the gourmet restaurant in Hamburg, where Martha rules supreme in the kitchen. But, Martha is short not only on parenting skills. She is a high-strung perfectionist whose interpersonal skills are almost nil. After Martha's repeated instances of scenes she creates with customers, Frida requires her to see a therapist. She is obsessed with food mastery, and her sessions turn into humorous diversions about food. Her life enters a new phase when she learns that her sister and niece were in a car wreck, and her sister was killed. Now, she has nine-year old Lina to care for. The young girl understandably is in shock, and Martha's stern, firm ways do nothing to help her. After returning to work, she is furious to learn that Frida has hired an Italian sous chef, Mario, to replace the pregnant Lea who is about to give birth. Mario is an easygoing, chipper character who wins the hearts of the kitchen staff except Martha. She dislikes him and thinks he may be a threat to her job. Martha has been unable to find a babysitter for Lina, so she takes her to work with her. The girl doesn't eat, even though Martha has made gourmet meals for the two of them at home. Finally, in the kitchen, with Mario's bright demeanor and lively banter and music, Lina eats a plate of spaghetti that Mario places near her. In time the girl takes to Mario, and Martha begins to melt. More happens over time, with Mario cooking a meal for the three of them at Martha's apartment. Toward the end, Martha locates Lina's father who has his own family in Italy. He and his wife welcome Lina into their family. But Martha soon misses her niece. She and Mario have become close and he convinces her to move to Italy to be near Lina. On their drive down, Martha says she has reservations about moving, and Mario says something like, "Oh sure! Why would you want to leave Hamburg where it rains all the time to go to sunny Italy?"All of the cast for this film are superb. Most are German actors. Martina Gedeck plays Martha, Sibylle Canonica is Frida, Katja Studt is Lea, August Zirner is Martha's therapist and Maxime Foerste plays niece Lina. Italian actor Sergio Castellitto plays Mario. An interesting aspect of this movie is that Castellitto didn't speak any German, and Gedeck didn't understand Italian. So they shot the film with each speaking their own language. Then Castellitto's lines were dubbed in German for the finished film by Frank Glaubrecht. The humor and warmth of this story are endearing. It's a wonderful film that the whole family should enjoy.

simona gianotti Food and love have always been a winning pairing, since they both stimulate senses and emotions, and when they are well paired, their combination may turn into something explosive. This is true in real life and this is very intelligently portrayed in this charming movie. The risk with it was to fall into the clichè of the Italian fool, all pasta and passion, who in the ends melts the rigid German woman. Not at all, on the contrary the two main characters, Mario and Martha, belong to the emotionally deep, intense and, moreover Martha, complicated souls, revealing themselves gradually, letting the viewer enter their special world with delicacy, and slow timing.I felt sympathy with Martha, I could really feel her sense of uneasiness with men, kids, and people in general, although keeping such an emotionally deep richness inside her, but so contained and so mistrustful about feelings, about life. Sergio Castellitto as Mario is simply great, I am fond of him, he's so attractive, mainly in the way he manages to respect Martha's inner precious but difficult emotional world (superb is the scene when he lets her taste some food with her eyes blindfolded, and then letting her guess a flavour by kissing her unexpectedly).Kitchen setting is always intriguing, enhancing sense impressions of tastes, smells, and consistencies of food: the movie renders the joy and the physical pleasure which food can give with intensity, also thanks to some intriguing music by Paolo Conte ("Via con me" is a wonderful song).Eating is a pleasure, loving is a pleasure, love and food work in the same direction, but it's up to men and women to take the necessary step to make them work in perfect accordance, and to make the recipe magically successful.

kaupy A bit of Teutonic charm that brings you along almost effortlessly. It earns a 9 out of 10 from me, an almost perfect balancing of elements both sweet and savory. If you are a "foodie" then you will enjoy the kitchen scenes and attitudes. Food preparation is Martha's raisin d'etre, at least until she is forced to change from chef to caretaker of her sister's daughter. Then the grip Martha has on her world goes from "tight with the occasional slip" to "strained and slippery".Romantics will enjoy a process of interaction that becomes attraction between Martha and the new chef Mario. Their's is a perfectly paced interplay of her tense misgivings against his amiable demeanor. One almost wishes that Martha's psychiatrist demonstrated as much insight as Mario.No, the movie isn't perfect. The ending was a bit elaborate, a slightly simpler one might have been more effective. But it's by no means a bad ending as is. Small tweaks here and there would have made this a ten for me, but I suspect many viewers may find it a 10 in their books.I watched this with Rare Birds. Another supposedly foodie movie, but in fact, one that barely qualifies as such although Rare Birds is a pleasant two hours. Mostly Martha, as a double feature, would go very well with Chocolat. But it could also be paired with Eat, Drink, Man, Woman for a fusion of east - west dining/movies experience.

ac-42 I'm loathe to write reviews but this film is one I love and when I looked on IMDb William J. Fickling's comment was the "fly in my soup" at the bottom of the page. Reading others comments I see that many people get this movie and loved it - bizarrely there are also a few morons who misunderstood the film and several self-proclaimed foodies who are anxious to tell the world that they know more about food and cinema than this movie can communicate.To address Fickling directly first - here is a comprehensive list of food movies which I am sure leaves out an enormous number of old ones and still further more from foreign shores but at least trumps your list of the ones purportedly worth watching:TAMPOPO MOSTLY MARTHA SOYLENT GREEN LA GRANDE BOUFFE DELICATESSEN MY DINNER WITH ANDRE KITCHEN STORIES BABETTE'S FEAST EAT, DRINK, MAN WOMAN THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA BIG NIGHT LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE JAMON, JAMON HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS & THE SON OF THE BRIDE (cheating a bit) THE COOK THE THIEF HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER ALIVE THE TRAVELLING PLAYERS GREED WEDDING BANQUET VATEL WILLY WONKA A CHEF IN LOVE GARLIC IS AS GOOD AS TEN MOTHERS SIDEWAYS KITCHEN HOTEL SPLENDIDE SUPERSIZE ME 9 1/2 Weeks DINNER RUSH FRIED GREEN TOMATOES... SOUL FOOD EATING RAOUL A Chinese FEAST TOM JONES (love that scene) WHAT'S COOKING (yes I'm aware that some of these movies are "food movies" by virtue of one scene only - but who's counting).Fickling writes "The less said about the plot, the better" - this is a film about characterisation, a film that explores the nuances of motherhood, working relationships, pride and the fragility of the human spirit. A film which shows triumph in the face of adversity, describes a difficult romance and how we can all become more than the sum of our parts. Admittedly there are no car chases, no "twists" and no murders (apologies to the plot spoiler sticklers there) but the film is nothing the less for it. What we do have are splendid character arcs and a generous director who allows the cast to act in an understated way which draws the viewer into the story. Several times I wanted to reach through the screen and give someone a hug and, big man that I am, I even welled up in one or two places. I laughed several times and ate a chicken, a salmon and a small cow after I finished it.Sadly the same man that wrote "the 'buzz-word' about food movies is sensuous" didn't feel the same way, but then someone who uses words like buzz-word isn't likely to. Stick one in the eye to the food snobs who tell you which dish to order and how to drink your wine, order this movie at your video rental because you've seen at least one or two movies in your life which, when the end credits rolled, made you feel like life was worth consuming and everyone could belong somewhere.Finally, to Mr. Fickling - your tone is both condescending and a little self-satisfied - but you're welcome at my house for dinner any time.killedcat