Customer Reviews:

• Charming foodie romance
  Martha, the head chef, goes through life wrapped way too tight. It's her kitchen, her life, her way, or no way. Then, a suddenly-orphaned and very distraught niece appears in Martha's life. A driven, successful professional is not necessarily a successful mother figure, as Lina and Martha both discover. Then, while Martha takes time to get her new, child-inhabited life together, another chef arrives in her kitchen. Mario is easy going, perpetually late, bit of a slob at times, and generally the Oscar to her Felix.
  
  Since they must get along professionally, Mario moves in somewhat on Martha's turf. And, much to Martha's dismay, he moves in on Lina's affections, too. Oh, he never meant to, it's just that his cheery style gets through Lina's grief in ways that Martha never could, and his totally innocent approach might be what galls Martha most.
  
  By turns funny, serious, sad, and heart-warming, this works its way comfortably to the ending you pretty much expect. But, even if the ending is predictable, the movie gets there in an enjoyable way.
  
  -- wiredweird...more info
• Delicious!
  I have to admit, I was reluctant to see "Mostly Martha" for personal reasons: I had read a description about the main character's having to deal with the death of her sister, and I had just buried my own sister. But I went anyway, and was richly rewarded. "Mostly Martha" was great!

  Martha is a control-freak chef. Everything has to be in order at all times. Thus you can imagine what happens when her rigid world is set on end by the sudden death of her sister and her having to take in her young motherless niece. It's a great study of how a woman must learn to unbend and grow in order to meet a situation.

  Now, don't get me wrong from what I wrote in the first paragraph--this is NO weeper by any stretch of the imagination. Martha develops not only an interesting relationship with her niece, but with the new Italian upstart chef hired to work in her German restaurant. He's very happy-go-lucky, the complete opposite of our uptight heroine, and of course, you know what they say about opposites and attraction, don't you?

  Savor "Mostly Martha" whenever the chance presents itself to you--you'll be deeply satisfied!...more info

• A study of contrasts
  This movie is surprisingly touching. It took me quite a while to take a leap of faith to watch this DVD. I wouldn't hesitate should this be an Italian movie but a German movie about food, I definitely would have to reconsider. Anyhow, when the movie started, the ambiance was cold and starck. The location was cold and grey Germany. Martha hid herself in the cold fridge for moments of peace and quiet when the kitchen was becoming too much to handle. She loves her food, she knows she's good at it, she wouldn't be held ransom by her patrons, she manages her kitchen with clean precision. Her profession is everything to her. That's what makes her feel whole and that she can exert control. When she has her day off, she eats by herself in her bare apartment and she has got no life whatsoever. Her life is turned upside down when unforseen circumstance caused the death of her sister and she needs to look after her niece until the latter father can be found. Furthermore, another Italian chef is added to the kitchen team. He's exactly opposite of what Martha represents. Whilst Martha conceals everything inside herself, Mario let everything out and he enjoys his cooking as much as he enjoys his life. Martha's niece and the restaurant crew is simply enamoured by Mario's charm and joie de vivre. As any feel good movie would have it, Martha the ice queen is slowly melting and her persona starts to shine through. She gets to reveal her weaker sides and allows Mario to assist her and work along with her. Slowly, her strenous relationship is improving with Lili, her niece as well. The movie ends appropriately in Italy with the colour of landscape changes to a vivid earthy colour, good times that are shared with family and friends over fine wine and food. A sumptuous movie that spreads over one hour forty minutes but thumb up for the Director for never rushing the movie but telling it as it is. There are two sub themes here, such as the architect neighbour next floor down from Martha. There is perhaps, a romantic interest between two or them, or that the architect is to be acting as comic interest but his character simply fades out in the end. There's also supposed to be comic moment between Martha and the psychiatrist and the light hearted moment can be seen as deliberate and again, in the end, it doesn't add much to the overall flow of the film. Other than these two issues, the movie is a worthwhile movie to watch. No extras in the DVD. Highly recommended....more info
• Oh so worthwhile...
  This is a moving and wonderful film...lovely to look at...well done on all fronts! 5 Stars for Martha....more info
• My personal Favorite!
  Our German class had to watch this movie which is where I fell in love with in. Being a now 3rd year culinary student minoring in German language, I could watch this beautiful movie constantly!...more info
• Subtle directing, sublime acting and soundrack,
  I'd like to add to what others have said about this film that (a) the acting is wonderful (especially Martina Gedeck as Martha and Maxime Foerste as Lina) and (b) the soundtrack is absolutely sublime.
  
  In fact, the reason I bought the DVD was that reportedly there was quite a lot of Keith Jarrett on the soundtrack, and there is, to great effect. Material from the Norwegian Quartet, the Bregenz solo concert and the trio albums Tribute and Standards Volume 2 is all used, and it combines with the film quite beautifully.
  
  But in the end, it wasn't just the soundtrack that entranced me, but the whole film. And anyone who buys into the absurd stereotype of the lack of German humour should see this to realise how wrong they are.
  
  WOnderful!...more info
• Another good 'food genre' movie
  A tasty offering to the banquet of foodie movies that have lately come on the scene. It all started years ago with Babette's Feast; some later additions are Eat Drink Man Woman, Tortilla Soup, and Dinner Rush.
  This one concerns a repressed and obsessively focused, single-minded chef at an up-scale restaurant whose life is turned upside down when her sister dies and she's left with a niece she barely knows. Onto the scene comes the obvious solution: a hang-loose, equally gifted but much earthier and more grounded Italian guy who invades her kitchen, her life, and her heart.
  A beautifully rounded story of cooking, redemption, love, and what it means to be Family.
  And who will ever forget the scene where a patron keeps complaining that his steak isn't rare enough - and Martha storms from the kitchen and slams a bloody raw hunk of cow in the middle of his table and says something like, 'Raw, you want raw? I'll give you raw!'
  Marvelous......more info
• I loved this movie
  *****
  This movie was ostensibly about food, but really about love. Martha is a very lonely woman living her life for her passion, which is cooking. Throughout the movie characters---from other professional chefs to her orphaned niece---come into her life and finally she begins to love. However, it is a subtle, thought-provoking movie, not a dramatic American movie where everything is blatant and laid-out for the viewer.
  
  I think I fell in love with Sergio Castellitto who plays Mario, an Italian chef working with Martha. The movie is worth watching simply for his performance with Martha (Martina Gedeck), who is truly excellent as well.
  
  I just watched this movie as a rental and I am going to order it, because it is the type of movie that can and should be watched again and again to discover the layers of meaning that are there.
  
  If you are a viewer who enjoys food or cooking, or relationship dynamics that are subtle yet profound, this is a wonderful, timeless movie. It was in German, and I hated having to watch the dialgue via the subtitles so closely, but it was well worth it. Although complex, this movie was uplifting, not dark.
  *****...more info
• the zest for life and love
  Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, "Bella Martha", strangely translated as "Mostly Martha", was her first big feature film, and won international awards and delighted many...perhaps mostly women, as it is exquisitely romantic. Martina Gedeck as Martha, the master chef who tries to control her world while it collapses around her, is superb. She has an intense kind of beauty and grace, strong but emotionally fragile, and Gadeck's body language speaks volumes, and lets us see into her heart with a simple gesture of the hand, or a flicker in her eyes. This is one of the best performances I've seen in a very long time.
  
  Her relationship with her 8 year old niece Lina, so well played by Maxime Foreste, is complex, understandable, and very moving, and the chemistry between Martha and Mario, (Sergio Castellitto is perfect in the part) is fabulous, complete opposites attracting. The supporting cast are all excellent, and director Nettelbeck plays Lina's mother in a touching video sequence.
  
  The score by David Darling and Keith Jarrett is marvelous, with delicate sections of Arvo Part's music for one of the most tragic scenes, and includes a bit of Dean Martin's version of "Volare", and the irresistible, simply scrumptious "Via con Me" by Paolo Conte, a song so happy it would make a bear smile. The cinematography by Michael Bertel is also wonderful, with location shots of Hamburg and Italy, and overflowing vistas of delectable food.
  I cried, I laughed out loud, and I will always remember this film; it is a small but polished gem.
  Total running time is 109 minutes.
  ...more info
• What an exquisite film .... Ach Du lieber, sehr gut!
  Actually I am more than surprised about the quality of this DVD since German films have not been on my list of priorities.
  
  
  Martha is a, single, self centered, young, obsessive compulsive chef at a high class restaurant when she is saddled with her 9 year old niece when her sister dies in a car accident. The Italian father has been out of the picture for years now so Martha was thrust into immediate motherhood. Having diufficulty coping with herself and the world around her you can imagine what havoc was created by the intusion of this niece....
  
  
  Martha had trouble coping, and after taking a steak to the table of an unhappy diner and driving a steak knife though the raw steak and the table, the owner decides to hire another chef to help her friend in the kitchen. WOW ... not only an intrusion in the home but also at work .... too much for Martha ...
  
  
  What a great little movie loved the heroine and the Italian chef played by Sergio Castellitto was fabulous ...
  
  ...more info
• Favorite Foreign Film
  I love this film and was thrilled to see it available for such a low price. It is great for snowy nights and summer evenings. This one you will share with all your friends....more info
• I'd recommend this film
  Another Amazon Reviewer wrote: " . . . I totally couldn't relate to this movie. It's so unrealistic. Relatively few upright, hyper-neat perfectionists get into cooking because it is inherently messy, unpredictable and sensual. Any food actually cooked by a "Martha" would be tasteless and uninspired. Not mention that relatively few chefs are model-thin and manage to work in a kitchen as clean as a sterile surgical facility and in white clothes without a drop of grease or gravy."
  
  With that I have to retort with a resounding "SO WHAT???"
  
  When I watched this movie, I sort of thought that people who actually work within the food industry would find this movie unrealistic, but then again, it's a movie, so don't expect to see "real life" enacted to a T if you're a chef. I would also think it's not worthwhile to get upset over such details, but alas, for some, getting angry because the way they see life is not depicted as they "know" it seems to ruin the entire plausibility of a film.
  
  Anyhow, I once considered being a chef, so this movie was interesting to me, regarding the themata; secondly, the film was well made and consists of several issues going on at once, the little girl who wants to see her father, the romance between the cold, detached Martha and the boisterious Italian cook, for one. The movie itself will give you a good feeling, without being cloying or overly sentimental. In fact, the movie is quite realistic when it comes to the depictions of human relationships and how two very different people fall in love. I liked this movie and thought it was nice, and I'd recommend it....more info
• Can I get the soundtrack???
  Loved this movie. I recommended to friends and they loved it as well. However, we can't seem to find the soundtrack. Help!...more info
• One For The Senses
  For lovers of foreign films this German creation is wonderful and a true gift for the senses.
  
  I found this film to be well written despite the simplicity of the storyline. Martha (Martina Gedeck) is a head chef at a prestigious restaurant, her life is a mess but her culinary creations something to be celebrated. Her world is turned upside down when her sister is accidentally killed and Martha is left to care for her sister's daughter (Maxime Foerste). As she struggles to adapt to a new life and schedule that involves a depressed and independent niece, the restaurant she works for makes a few changes of its own and hires another chef (Sergio Castellitto) who adds a bit of Italian charm to the picture. All of the actors are superb but the food really makes an award winning presentation of its own.
  
  This foreign film is so beautiful and appeals to every sense imaginable that I guarantee you will be up and cooking yourself a great meal after watching this one. With almost every scene filmed around a plate of elegant food your taste buds will water and your stomach will stir. Somehow you can even smell the basil, sage and pungent sauces brewing in the background. Alongside the extraordinary cooking is a joyous soundtrack of uplifting music to cater to your ears. The story is one of possibilities and new families being formed from all sorts of ingredients but mostly it's a purely sensual experience.
  ...more info
• Probably the most realistic restaurant story ever filmed.
  I laughed when I read this observation by another Amazon reviewer:
  
  "Relatively few upright, hyper-neat perfectionists get into cooking because it is inherently messy, unpredictable and sensual. Any food actually cooked by a "Martha" would be tasteless and uninspired. Not mention that relatively few chefs are model-thin and manage to work in a kitchen as clean as a sterile surgical facility and in white clothes without a drop of grease or gravy."
  
  Ha! Obviously this person has never worked for a German chef. I have, and Martha's methods are typical of the chefs of her country, and for all their meticulousness and "sterility," not one ever produced tasteless food (being neat and precise has no bearing on the quality of the food one produces; one's palate, skill and inventiveness do, however). But this is beside the point -- "Mostly Martha" is a terrific film on many levels, not in the least because it is a totally realistic depiction of the life of a female executive chef in ANY country. I burst out laughing as I watched Martha hide in the walk-in to cry or fume (I've done this myself many times), and the restaurant "family meal" scenes have all the coziness and familiarity of real restaurant staff meals. The plot of the movie itself could have been dreadfully treacly and sentimental (as it would have been in American hands), but instead it is affecting, romantic and honest. As such, I'd rate "Mostly Martha" up there with "Babette's Feast" and "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman," the two greatest food films ever made (interesting that none of these are American, isn't it? But American filmakers have never known the real place great food has in life, family and love, have they?)....more info
• Mostly Martha
  Beyond great! A true tour of the heart and a reminder that the sun rises - always. An absolute "upper'
  I was lifted up by this film! There was so much unassuming joy scattered throughout this story. It was so hopeful in the face of the worst kind of loss; a message that there is light at the end of all of our dark tunnels. And a clear reminder that we are not in control. The whole script seemed a solid comment on the resilience of the spirit and the strength of the truest kind of love, that of a child.
  It was without any offensive content, save one mild curse word and my 9 year old enjoyed it as much as my husband and I. Even where almost uncontrollable passion was represented, it certainly got the message across without going too far.... left something to one's imagination, which is always more fun. Less CAN be more.
  Martina Gedeck (Martha) is a master at conveying her character's deepest thought and emotion through the smallest gesture and her colorful body language, she is a natural actress and natural beauty. Her role was perfectly cast.
  Sergio Castellito (Mario)'s performance carries 1/2 the weight of this beautiful film so easily and unassumingly, but it was Mario's soulful eyes and open and uncorrupted manner that pushed me over the edge and made me love him.
  It is one of the top 5 best "feel good" movies I have ever seen
  Other movies that made me feel like this were MARTIAN CHILD with John Cusack and AUGUST RUSH.
  I cannot finish without mentioning the incredible performance, by Maxime Foerste, who played the 8 year old girl, Lina, was heart wrenching and at the same time healing and filled with hope. I am a mother of three. This film plucked at those strings I so vehmently protect and made me remember what or who really matters and that it's best to show them - now.
  I would recommend it to anyone... as soon as they can read!...more info
• Bravo
  Mostly Martha is a beautiful film. Beautiful in content and beautiful to look at. The characters are realistically drawn with richness and sensitivity. It's a film I go back to over and over....more info
• This Movie is Not About Food But Love...
  To say that Mostly Martha is a movie about food is limiting it to something less than what it really is. It is a beautiful movie about what it means to happy in life (Its more than just a dream job). The movie is relevant to cooks and non-cooks alike and is a good date movie for the romanitics out there.
  
  This movie uses food as metaphor on several levels to express how each character sees love. Martha (Martina Gedneck) believes that if you present something (a dish) well with your heart in it, the people receiving it naturally should love it regardless. If the person doesnt love it she is naturally hurt. Lina (Maxime Foerste, she's great!) believes that since the death of her mother she can't love, thus she can't eat. Lastly Mario, the fantastic Itallian Chef, believes food and love are a part of a good life. He exudes this principle and gets on with everyone especially well except for Martha. See the movie and find out how all of this works out..
  
  This movie is really beautiful. If you are worried that the movie is going to be some iconoclastic german work that is going to require a lot of reading, fear not. It is great for all audiences. Reading subtitles isnt bad and if you are learning german the language is easy to understand. I recommend this film highly!
  
  -- Ted Murena...more info
• Best Movie of the Year?
  I loved this film. Its a cute story, doesn't have all the typical American-movie shortcomings of utter predictability, guns, violence, beasts, and chase scenes.

  It is a loving story of heartbreak, love, friendship and growing together.
  If you read/speak German it is a double treat because the sub-titles leave quitre a bit to be desired but the acting is so good the words are almost an added bonus....more info

• Charming
  This story of Martha and her kitchen are a great edition to anyone's film collection. The addition of her deceased sisters child rocks Martha's world in many ways. I do not think enough of the reviews focus on this fragile relationship. Lina and Martha's relationship mirrors the relationship with the talented Italian chef. Both relationships are new and frightening to the lead.
  This movie has charmed me and captured me. I m sure it will capture every person who see's it....more info
• Tastes Delicious!
  This movie is great! I'm a MS & HS German teacher and I was able to show this to my first year German students. Ties in nicely to curriculum involving food/cooking or just as an entertaining movie to show in the target language. It's completely school-appropriate, with the exception of two curse words in the English subtitles (which can easily be momentarily covered). A great price for a German-language, region 1 DVD!...more info
• Great acting, great music, yummy food
  "Mostly Martha" is an endearing film about a chef, out of touch with her emotions, who has to take care of her orphaned niece, deal with the death of her sister, her issues with control and the new chef in her kitchen. This is a great movie: enjoyable, funny at times and enchanting. The soundtrack is excellent and the food presented makes your mouth water. Hmmmm...
  
  This movie is the precursor for No Reservations with Catherine Zeta Jones. Although the movies are basically the same (same scenes, same expressions, with some changes of course), "Mostly Martha" is far superior to "No Reservations". Mostly Martha is more endearing, more heart felt and you grow to care more about the characters. While "No Reservations" is better edited and more funny, "Mostly Martha" is more interesting, better done, better performed and more caring about its own characters. Whereas the character of Kate in "No Reservations" was more comedic and cartoonish, Martha is more real.
  
  If you want funny, watch "No Reservations"; if you want a great movie with a bit of comedy, watch "Mostly Martha"....more info
• The Best
  This movie is one of the best that I have ever watched. I have seen it maybe 25 times... I don't seem to tire of it. It has almost everything you could want in a movie - tension, love, sweetness, hope, loss... everything.
  The actors are marvelous - they are not perfect looking people - that makes it even better. The scenes with the therapist are wonderful. The small niece is very believable.
  
  The American movie version RESERVATIONS with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart is awful compared to this original. There is no real feeling in it, nor does it make much sense. Please see this one! You will in no way be disappointed. I have recommended it to everyone I know!...more info
• Mostly Martha
  This movie is really charming, not a bit trite like it's distant U.S. cousin "No Reservations" . The German take on this improbable love story is refreshing. It has drama, adventure, and delicate humor. You must see this film. Have a wonderful time! ...more info
• Loved it...
  German film with English subtitles. Story centered around Martha, a 30-something, unmarried chef who works at a high end restaurant in Hamburg - and is considered by her boss to be the 2nd best chef in the city (much to Martha's chagrin). Martha is obsessed with her cooking and is a perfectionist. She's high strung, compulsive, obsessive and more comfortable with her food and cooking than with people - she is cool and distant with most she interacts with. She takes criticism about her cooking personally and attacks customers who complain. Martha comes to care for her 8-year old niece (Lina) - who is suddenly orphaned from her Mother. Lina grieves and rebels against Martha who struggles to deal with the child. Lina disrupts the strict regime of Martha's workmanlike life and forces Martha to take stock in what's important in life. Lina forces an spontaneous, care-free Italian man into Martha's life and sparks fly from her repressed inner self.
  
  If you love food and its preparation - all surrounded and wrapped in just-right-music and beautiful cinematography (of the kitchen, of the food, of the restaurant, of Hamburg streets, of her apartment) - this is a soothing, charming, warm all-human film. Loved it...
  ...more info