No Reservations (PG, 2007)

In NO RESERVATIONS, type-A chef Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is all business and the talk of Manhattan. But at home, Kate's a mess. Her sister unexpectedly dies, and suddenly Kate's the guardian of her young niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin). Kate's so clueless she tries to feed Zoe a whole steamed fish -- whole fish, with head and milky eye intact -- instead of the fish sticks the girl would prefer. But soon enough Nick (Aaron Eckhart), with his Italian flair for cranking up arias and making the kitchen staff sing along, wins over Zoe with a plate of good ole spaghetti marinara. With Zoe playing Cupid, she hooks her aunt up, and the odd-couple chefs start rubbing off on each other -- he becomes more ambitious and she more laid back.

There's romance in but not the kind you would expect from a Hollywood romantic comedy. The emotional connection between Kate and the cuisine she artfully creates is entertaining and satisfying. But Kate's slow-but-predictable relationship with the restaurant's carefree new sous chef Nick is less exciting than watching the many close-ups of haute cuisine. These may be attractive Hollywood actors, but they lack convincing chemistry.

Although director Scott Hicks couldn't coax a magical spark out of his leads, he does a fine job of showing how food, especially beautifully prepared food, can be a sensuous delight. And while the movie's lesson -- about letting your hair down once in a while to go with the flow -- is trite, it's also familiar and sweet.

Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Scott Hicks
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 103 minutes
Theatrical release: July 27, 2007
DVD release: February 11, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: some sensuality and language.