Watch Mostly Martha For Free

Boring

Absolutely the worst movie.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Bella Martha" is an almost 15-year-old movie by Sandra Nettelbeck. As in all her works she not only wrote the film, but also directed it. Also it was her very first movie for the big screen. Since then, in her next 3 projects, she has worked with Michael Caine, Jane Alexander, Gillian Anderson and Ashley Judd. Not too prolific though as she makes only one film every four years and next year she will turn 50. "Bella Martha" runs for roughly 100 minutes and was so appreciated that they made a US remake a couple years later with Catherine Zeta-Jones in the lead role. Here, however, it's all about Martina Gedeck. She won the German Film Award and also the German Film Critics Awards for her portrayal here. Sergio Castellitto (the male lead, you may know him if you're Italian or have watched Narnia) and Nettelbeck herself also scored some awards recognition.Idil Üner and Ulrich Thomsen appear in smaller roles here and the rest of the cast is not particularly famous, but still all experienced German actors. Gedeck has been in "Das Leben der Anderen" and "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex" since then, but the child actress, Maxime Foesrte, here has not been in films for several years now. Maybe she is back to "normal life". Would be a shame as she shows some potential here. She plays the daughter of a woman who gets killed in a car accident and has to deal with her aunt as her new "mother" from now on. Obvious, as a big part of the film is about cooking, they won't miss out on the funny parts that Gedeck's character does not prepare spaghetti for the girl, but instead highly exquisite dishes or wants to show her in one scene how you make the perfect crème brûlée. Or another comedic highlight were her sessions with her psychiatrist. And then there's the more serious parts of dealing with death or finding ways to a more fulfilling life.Bella Martha is a good mix of comedy, drama and love story, smartly written and with good performances from everybody involved. Not much wrong with this film except the cheesy title perhaps. Recommended.

"Mostly Martha" was a Netflix rental I did not expect to like as much as I did. First, there's the matter of the spoken language being German, with Engish only in the subtitles. Then there's the off-putting character of Martha herself, a restaurant chef who's both dismal and a certifiable nut case. Martha's stoicism breaks down only when her obsessive-compulsive side takes over as she combats chaotic outbreaks in the kitchen -- and in her life once her little orphan niece gets thrust into it.Martha's apartment reflects her personality in the spareness of its decor and grayed-down color scale. This is all about control, and Martha struggles mightily to keep it as her world tumbles down around her. How can this scenario be funny? Actually it is -- in an approaching-train-wreck sort of way. When Martha's boss brings a male Italian chef into the kitchen, all hell breaks loose. At first I found each of the main characters in this film almost painful to watch -- and yet as the story slowly unfolded, I was surprised to find lovable aspects in every one of these people -- particularly the laid-back Italian chef who proves to be an unexpectedly joyous ingredient added to the mix in the kitchen. Ultimately "Mostly Martha" is a lovely, life-affirming story and I tell you now this film is a jewel. You will come away from it feeling cheerier, with a greater appreciation of life in general. It's even more heartening to watch the second time around.

The charms outweigh the clichés in "Mostly Martha (Bella Martha)." Of course it's right away different in that the phrase "German romantic comedy" isn't common and can be applied here.I loved that "Martha" herself is a competent, self-possessed professional and that's what attracts the guy to her. While we first meet her in therapy, her problems are those of work and personal life I could certainly relate to.While this will remind others of food prep movies like "Wedding Banquet," "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman," and "Tortilla Soup" or restaurant movies like "Dinner Rush" and "Big Night," (which all had male chefs), or "Babette's Feast," I have zero interest in cooking so cared only that "Martha" is very good at her job and at managing the restaurant kitchen.The restaurant characters seem like real co-workers, and amazingly the niece is not some adorable child actor but seems like a real kid whose surliness is legit.The Italian sous chef who comes on board brings the sensuality of the Mediterranean --in music (with a generous use of Paolo Conte songs), movement and language much like in the Danish "Italian for Beginners." And of course in romance, which is still delightful even as the clichés start appearing, her happiness is indicated by her loosened hair like Jane Fonda's in "Electric Horseman."But I enjoyed the build-up to their relationship in ever longer, longing glances and their mutual professional respect and concluding compromises.(originally written 9/2/2002)

This film is an excellent psychological study of a VERY controlled and emotionally constricted woman who uses food, believe it or not, as a way of avoiding intimacy. She is a superb chef who is incredibly precise and demanding concerning her cooking because she is so uncomfortable with people. However, into her tightly controlled world comes chaos in the form of her niece--whose mother was just killed in an auto accident. Not surprisingly, she has a hard time relating to this child and I was thrilled that her transformation to a whole person took time and wasn't achieved in a Hollywood-style way. Instead, this little girl (who was not overly cute or fake--thank goodness) and a new chef at her restaurant (who was completely unlike her) influence Martha in a way that is believable and satisfying.By the way, while not quite as good as The Big Night (which came out the same year) or Babette's feast, this movie is VERY reminiscent of them--elevating food to a true work of art.