No Reservations

A remake of the 2001 German film Mostly Martha, director Scott Hicks' romantic comedy No Reservations—starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart as rival chefs—isn't a bad movie per se, it's just absolutely predictable. Zeta-Jones plays Kate, the distinguished chef of a trendy Greenwich Village eatery. Single and self-absorbed, Kate is forced to become a surrogate parent when her young niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin) is suddenly orphaned. Kate's life is further complicated by the arrival of easygoing sous chef Nick (Eckhart) at her restaurant, a man she believes to be secretly angling for her job. The expected clash of disparate personalities culminates in romance—big surprise—especially when Nick proves to be better than Kate at entertaining Zoe. No Reservations is like one of those old-fashioned star vehicles that Hollywood studios ground out in the 1930s and ‘40s whenever theater owners clamored for something new featuring their patrons' favorite personalities. Career-wise, it's strictly a place-holder for Zeta-Jones and Eckhart. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include an episode of the Food Network series Unwrapped, featuring host Marc Summers' visit to the set (21 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for an unremarkable film.] (E. Hulse)