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MOVIES / ON DVD / MOSTLY MARTHA
Mostly Martha

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Mostly Martha (2002)

91%
67%
73%
N/A
N/A
N/A
91 %
Reviews Counted: 80 Fresh: 73  Rotten:7 Average Rating: 7.1/10
 
Consensus: Mostly Martha may have a predictable plot, but it still feels charming and fresh, and the food will make you hungry.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Synopsis: German director Sandra Nettelbeck whips up a tasty entry in the burgeoning "love and food" romance genre with MOSTLY MARTHA, the tragicomic tale of an uptight professional chef who finds her world turned upside down when she becomes the caretaker for her newly orphaned niece Lina (Maxime... German director Sandra Nettelbeck whips up a tasty entry in the burgeoning "love and food" romance genre with MOSTLY MARTHA, the tragicomic tale of an uptight professional chef who finds her world turned upside down when she becomes the caretaker for her newly orphaned niece Lina (Maxime Foerste). Martina Gedeck stars as Martha, whose obsession with precision gourmet cooking extends to discussing recipes with her bewildered therapist (August Zirner) and verbally attacking anyone at the restaurant who attempts to send her food back. When she's forced to expand her life to include Lina, her hermetic world begins to crumble. Sullen, despondent, and--worst of all--refusing to eat, Lina proves herself more than a match for Martha's iron will. Enter a boisterous, life-embracing Italian chef (Sergio Castellitto) who's been hired at the restaurant without Martha's consent, and the table is set. Sparks fly, personalities clash, and simmering, repressed emotions come bubbling to the frothy surface. Though perhaps not the most original recipe, the acting here is as impeccable as the cooking, and the cinematography, by longtime Nettlebeck-collaborator Michael Bertl, infuses the food and locales with glistening, sumptuous warmth. [More]

Genre: Foreign Films

Starring: Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto, Maxime Foerste, Sibylle Canonica, Katja Studt

Director: Sandra Nettelbeck
Screenwriter: Sandra Nettelbeck
Producer: Karl Baumgartner, Christoph Friedl
Composer: Manfred Eicher

DVD Info

Release:

Apr 1, 2005

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen
  • Dolby Digital Stereo - German

Additional Release Material:

  • Trailer

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Selection

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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3/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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01/26/06
Derek Adams
Time Out
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N/R

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07/08/03
Guardian [UK]
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3/5

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05/06/03
Neil Smith
BBC
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B

Though utterly predictable, this kitchen-set romantic comedy about a severe German woman and a fun-loving Italian cook, has a certain charm, and it's about food, which speaks well for commercial appeal.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/17/07
Emanuel Levy
Variety
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4/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
04/05/03
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews
N/R

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03/07/03
Sydney Morning Herald
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B+

Great food scenes, good story, real characters.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/06/03
Mark Robison
Reno Gazette-Journal
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N/A

Make sure you have a good meal lined up after the film, because the cooking scenes will drive your palate crazy with desire.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/28/02
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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B+

Other than the abrupt, rushed ending, the rest of the movie is meticulously crafted.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/11/02
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
11/16/02
David Edelstein
NPR's Fresh Air
N/R

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11/06/02
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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3/4

Another foreign import founded on the belief that a good meal can solve anything...

Full Review | comment Comment
10/31/02
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)
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C

This mostly food-as-metaphor-for-life story, never got past the kitchen and never got past thinking how clever its metaphors were.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/22/02
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
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N/A

A mostly satisfying, if not unexpected concoction.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
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3/4

While it does nothing to re-invent the ever-popular foodie metaphor, it does its work with appealing, unpolished grace and honest feeling.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
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4/5

The film reminds me of a vastly improved Germanic version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding -- with better characters, some genuine quirkiness and at least a measure of style. The difference is that I truly enjoyed most of Mostly Martha while I ne

Full Review | comment Comment
10/10/02
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
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1/4

Nettelbeck serves the tastiest film about food and sex since Big Night.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/02/02
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
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8/10

A delightful entree in the tradition of food movies.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/27/02
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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3.5/4

It's well-acted, its humor is well-placed and even its more sentimental scenes aren't as sickeningly goopy as they surely would have been if the film had come from a major studio.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/27/02
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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Related Forums

Soundtrack
by: PinkCamel 4/28/07


REEL_REVIEWER
MOSTLY MARTHA is mostly a cinematic treat!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/18/05


REEL_REVIEWER
MOSTLY MARTHA is mostly a cinematic treat!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/18/05


REEL_REVIEWER
MOSTLY MARTHA is mostly a cinematic treat!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/18/05


REEL_REVIEWER
MOSTLY MARTHA is mostly a cinematic treat!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/18/05
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