''Mostly Martha'' (original German title: ''Bella Martha'') is a 2001 German
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
Martina Gedeck
Martina Gedeck (; born 14 September 1961) is a German actress. She came to broader, international attention due to her roles in films such as '' Mostly Martha'' (2001), ''The Lives of Others'' (2006), and ''The Baader Meinhof Complex'' (2008). Sh ...
, Maxime Foerste, and Sergio Castellitto. Filmed in Hamburg, Germany, and Italy, the film is about a workaholic chef who is forced to adjust to major changes in her personal and professional life that are beyond her control. The film won the
Créteil International Women's Film Festival
The Créteil International Women's Film Festival (in French Festival international de films de femmes de Créteil) is an annual event in Créteil, France, founded by Jackie Buet in 1978 to showcase the directing talents of female filmmakers who, ...
Grand Prix Award, and was nominated for the
Goya Award for Best European Film
The Goya Award for Best European Film (Spanish: ''Premio Goya a la mejor película europea'') is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.
Plot
Martha Klein (
Martina Gedeck
Martina Gedeck (; born 14 September 1961) is a German actress. She came to broader, international attention due to her roles in films such as '' Mostly Martha'' (2001), ''The Lives of Others'' (2006), and ''The Baader Meinhof Complex'' (2008). Sh ...
) is a chef at Lido, a gourmet restaurant in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, Germany. A perfectionist who lives only for her work, Martha has difficulty relating to the world other than through food. Her single-minded obsession with her culinary craft occasionally leads to unpleasant confrontations with customers. Consequently, the restaurant owner, Frida (Sibylle Canonica), requires her to see a therapist (
August Zirner
August Zirner (born 7 January 1956) is an American-Austrian actor, who starred in over 60 film productions. He is one of the most popular actors in Germany.
Biography
Zirner was born as son of Austrian Jewish immigrants in the United States in ...
) to improve her interpersonal skills. Martha's therapy sessions, however, turn into monologues on food, and her approach to stress management usually involves briefly retreating to the restaurant's walk-in refrigerator.
Martha's life takes a dramatic turn when her sister is killed in a car accident, leaving behind an eight-year-old daughter, Lina ( Maxime Foerste). Martha must now look after her niece, who is understandably depressed, withdrawn, and refuses to eat. The girl's Italian father, Giuseppe Lorenzo, has been out of the picture for years, living somewhere in Italy. While coping with her sister's death and raising the young girl, Martha's world is further complicated when Frida hires fun-loving and unorthodox Mario ( Sergio Castellitto) as a
sous-chef
A sous-chef is a chef
A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the ...
to replace Lea (Katja Studt), who is expecting a child any day. Martha looks on in horror as Mario transforms her kitchen of precision and logistics with his relaxed banter and up-beat music.
Unable to find an acceptable babysitter, Martha brings Lina to the restaurant with her. Lina begins to emerge from her depression in the presence of Mario's playfulness, and even begins to eat when Mario leaves her unattended with a plate of spaghetti he's prepared. Touched by Mario's kindness and concern for the child, Martha becomes more accepting of Mario. She even asks for his help in locating Lina's father in Italy and translating a letter she's written to him.
Just as Martha's strained relationship with Lina seems to be improving, she forgets to collect the girl from school while helping Lea, her very-pregnant sous chef, get to the hospital to deliver her baby. Lina is angry at being forgotten at school, and the incident causes a serious setback in their relationship. To make amends, Martha offers to grant Lina any wish: Lina wants Mario to cook for them. Mario agrees, and prepares a picnic-style dinner in Martha's living room. Despite the mess left behind in the kitchen, the evening of food, stories, and games brings the three closer together.
The renewed warmth between Martha and Lina is immediately tested when Martha is told by the school principal that Lina has not been attending school regularly, and that when she does come to school, she falls asleep. The principal also tells Martha that when he asked the girl why she was always so tired, she told him that she was forced to work in a kitchen to earn her room and board. Angered by Lina's behavior, and also having been warned by the restaurant owner, Martha tells Lina that she can no longer come to the restaurant. Lina storms off, nearly getting hit by a car, and later attempts to run away to Italy. Mario continues to support Martha emotionally as their relationship becomes romantic.
Lina's father, in answer to Martha's letter, arrives to take his daughter to Italy to live with his wife and family. Distraught and conflicted by the separation, Martha rejects Mario's loving support, and after another confrontation with a customer, quits her job. Soon after,
Martha asks Mario to accompany her to Italy to retrieve Lina. After reuniting with the girl, Martha and Mario marry, and the three begin their lives together as a loving family.
Cast
*
Martina Gedeck
Martina Gedeck (; born 14 September 1961) is a German actress. She came to broader, international attention due to her roles in films such as '' Mostly Martha'' (2001), ''The Lives of Others'' (2006), and ''The Baader Meinhof Complex'' (2008). Sh ...
as Martha Klein
* Maxime Foerste as Lina Klein (Martha's niece)
* Sergio Castellitto as Mario; voice actor Frank Glaubrecht overdubbed Castellitto's voice.
*
August Zirner
August Zirner (born 7 January 1956) is an American-Austrian actor, who starred in over 60 film productions. He is one of the most popular actors in Germany.
Biography
Zirner was born as son of Austrian Jewish immigrants in the United States in ...
as Martha's Therapist
*
Sibylle Canonica
Sibylle Canonica (born 26 April 1957) is a Swiss actress. She appeared in more than forty films since 1981. Canonica received her training at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. She played at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, the Schil ...
Ulrich Thomsen
Ulrich Thomsen (born 6 December 1963) is a Danish actor and filmmaker, known for his role of Kai Proctor in the Cinemax original series ''Banshee'' (2013-2016).
Biography
Ulrich Thomsen was born in (Næsby) Odense, Denmark and graduated from t ...
as Samuel "Sam" Thalberg
* Gerhard Garbers as Herr Steinberg
* Angela Schmidt as Frau Steinberg
* Diego Ribon as Giuseppe Lorenzo
* W.D. Sprenger as Noisy Customer
Production
Filming locations
''Mostly Martha'' was filmed from March to May 2000 in Hamburg, Germany, and Italy.
Manfred Eicher
Manfred Eicher (born 9 July 1943) is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records.
Life and career
Eicher was born in Lindau, Germany. He studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He started as a double-bass player of classi ...
, founder of ECM Records, is credited as music consultant.
* "Country" (Keith Jarrett) by Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson, and Jon Christensen
* "Let's Do It in A-Flat" (Steve Reich) by M. Segal, S. Reich, J. Gunkel, and M. Fonfara
* "How Deep Is the Blues" (Steve Reich) by M. Segal, S. Reich, J. Gunkel, and M. Fonfara
* "Too Much of Your Love" (Steve Reich) by M. Segal, S. Reich, J. Gunkel, and M. Fonfara
* "Special Delivery" (Peter Blegvad) by Peter Blegvad
* "Darkwood VII: New Morning" (David Darling) by David Darling
* "Für Alina" (Arvo Pärt) by Alexander Malter
* "Tokyo, Encore" (Keith Jarrett) by Keith Jarrett
* "Angelina – Zooma Zooma" (Roberts, Fisher – Citarrelly, Prima) by Louis Prima
* "Volare" (Franco Migliacci, Domenico Modugno) by Dean Martin
* "Bregenz, Part I" (Keith Jarrett) by Keith Jarrett
* "Via Con Me" (Paolo Conte) by Paolo Conte
* "Attenti Al Lupo" (Ron) by Lucio Dalla
* "Relax-Ay-Voo" (Johns, Salvador) by Dean Martin
* "Never Let Me Go" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Jack de Johnette
* "U Dance" (Keith Jarrett) by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Jack de Johnette
Reception
Box office
''Mostly Martha'' earned $5,691,547 in box office revenue in Europe, and $4,158,045 in the United States. Admissions in Europe include 213,037 (Germany), 38,812 (Netherlands), 1,510 (Norway), and 202,150 (Spain).
Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, an aggregator of reviews from published critics, showed that 92% of them reviewed it favorably based on 85 reviews, with an average rating of 7.17/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Mostly Martha may have a predictable plot, but it still feels charming and fresh, and the food will make you hungry."
In his review in ''The New York Times'', film critic
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell (born December 6, 1958) is an American film critic, host of the public radio show ''The Treatment'', and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', the ''LA Weekly ...
wrote, "The movie itself has a trim, ticking precision, though Manfred Eicher (one of the founders of the ECM jazz label) adds a score that gives the picture a light-handed rhythm. Ms. Nettelbeck seems to have achieved a balance of control and autonomy so that ''Mostly Martha'' doesn't feel as if it was directed by its central figure. The final confection is extremely enjoyable, though a few degrees shy of perfection."
In their review in ''Spirituality & Practice'', Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat wrote, "Writer and director Sandra Nettelbeck beautifully orchestrates the transformation of the chilly, neurotic, and self-absorbed Martha as her heart begins to open under the tutelage of Lina and Mario."
In his review in ''Reel Views'',
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli (born September 25, 1967) is an American film critic and former engineer. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ''ReelViews.'' Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of r ...
wrote, "The acting is top-notch. Martina Gedeck is glorious as Martha. ... As Lina, Maxime Foerste gives a natural, unforced performance. ... And Sergio Castellitto is delightful as Mario. ... As much as any other motion picture that employs the preparation and consumption of food as a key element, ''Mostly Martha'' provides the perfect blend of cinematic nourishment and gratification."
Manohla Dargis
Manohla June Dargis () is an American film critic. She is one of the chief film critics for ''The New York Times''. She is a five-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.
Career
Before being a film critic for ''The New York Times'', ...
disliked the screenplay, writing "It's a drag how Nettelbeck sees working women—or at least this working woman—for whom she shows little understanding; there's a puritan, even punitive, cast to the way she sees her character, whose pathology she digs at with the tenacity of a truffle hound."
Awards and nominations
* 2002 Créteil International Women's Film Festival Grand Prix Award (Sandra Nettelbeck)
* 2002 European Film Awards Best Actor (Sergio Castellitto)
* 2002 European Film Awards Nomination Best Actress (Martina Gedeck)
* 2002 German Film Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement Actress (Martina Gedeck)
* 2002 German Film Awards Outstanding Feature Film Nomination (Sandra Nettelbeck)
* 2002 Nantucket Film Festival Best Feature Screenplay (Sandra Nettelbeck)
* 2002 Lecce Festival of European Cinema Special Jury Award (Sandra Nettelbeck)
* 2002 Lecce Festival of European Cinema Students Jury Award (Sandra Nettelbeck)
* 2003 German Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress (Martina Gedeck)
* 2003 Goya Awards Best European Film (Sandra Nettelbeck) - nomination
Home video
A region 2 DVD recording of the film was released in Europe in 2002, and several further editions have been released since. A region 1 DVD recording of the film with English subtitles was also released in North America in 2002.
Remakes
A feature film based on ''Mostly Martha'', retitled '' No Reservations'', was released in the United States in 2007 starring
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...
in the role corresponding to Martha. Aaron Eckhart takes on the role corresponding to Mario in ''Mostly Martha'' with an American (rather than German/Italian) cultural tension. The film also inspired the Spanish film ''
Chef's Special
''Chef's Special'' ( es, Fuera de carta) is a Spanish film directed by Nacho García Velilla that centers on homosexuality and the decision to come out. It focuses on men who have had relationships with women to hide their own sexuality, to th ...