"No Reservations"

Although Rotten Tomatoes has flushed it down the toilet, I still found it quite entertaining.


You see, when people go out to watch a weekend flick, a nice, romantic, watchable movie they're not really looking for an over-emphasized, thickly intricate plot structure. They're just there because they're too tired of over-emphasized, convoluted, un-understandable life. So the maximum that someone can do to make a weekend romantic flick watchable is to make sure that the movie doesn't turn too boring too fast. Once you've taken some eye-candy, some basic tearjerker of a plot, one dramatic climax - you're on your way to a box-office hit. So with Catherine Zeta-Jones (half your work's done), smooth-talking Aaron Eckhart (of "Thank You For Smoking fame") and Abigail Breslin (a Little Miss Sunshine - ring a bell? No? Well, cute, blue-eyes, long auburn hair, no explanation required) who possessed that charm that can make marshmallows melt ... the movie ended up serving its purpose. End of story. The story revolves around a high-minded, experienced and well-respected chef and her attempt to change her life - by no effort of her own, might I add. With the turn of events she begins to change (ain't that groovy) and the next 1.45 hours are spent dealing with it.

My verdict: enjoyable for the general weekend flick. Also leaves you addicted to song "Via Con Me" by Paolo Conte. Translation given here. But more important - is the song itself. I'm really tapping my feet as I write. Bobbing my head to one side and to the other ... chips, chips.. du-du-du...