Bella Martha (2001)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Sandra Nettelbeck

Writer:

Sandra Nettelbeck (writer)

Release Date:

18 April 2002 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

In Martha's enchanted kitchen, more than the food is starting to simmer. With some special ingredients they just might discover a recipe for passion.

Plot:

When a headstrong chef takes charge of her equally stubborn 8-year-old niece, the tensions between them mount... until an Italian sous-chef arrives to lighten the mood.

Plot Keywords:

Chef | Cooking | Restaurant | Car Accident | Italian

Awards:

14 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Martina Gedeck	...	Martha Klein
Maxime Foerste	...	Lina Klein (Martha's niece)
Sergio Castellitto	...	Mario
August Zirner	...	Martha's Therapist
Sibylle Canonica	...	Frida
Katja Studt	...	Lea
Antonio Wannek	...	Carlos
Idil Üner	...	Bernadette
Oliver Broumis	...	Jan
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Sam Thalberg
Gerhard Garbers	...	Herr Steinberg
Angela Schmidt	...	Frau Steinberg
Diego Ribon	...	Giuseppe Lorenzo
W.D. Sprenger	...	Noisy customer
Victoria Trauttmansdorff	...	Companion (as Victoria von Trautmannsdorf)

Also Known As:

Mostly Martha (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Drei Sterne (Germany) (working title)
Martha (Germany) (working title)
Ricette d'amore (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated PG thematic material and mild language.

Runtime:

109 min | Japan:105 min

Country:

Italy | Germany | Austria | Switzerland

Language:

German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:AL | Norway:A | Spain:T | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Arte

Trivia:

Sergio Castellitto's German wasn't good enough so Frank Glaubrecht was brought in to dub his voice for the German version.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mario and Lina get ready to cook dinner at Martha's apartment, Lina puts on her apron twice.

Quotes:

Mario: Why would she want to stay with her family in sunny Italy when she can return to cold and grey Germany to live there with a nut case like you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Special Delivery

Mostly Martha but all good.

"Mostly Martha" is a thoroughly delightful tale of a comely, self contained, socially unassured, and occasionally gauche German master chef, Martha (Gedeck), in need of a recipe for living who finds love through tragedy and romance through cooking. In thinking about these comments I concluded that there is nothing I would change about this film except the language (I don't speak German). A perfect little gem, "Mostly Martha" is the kind of flick which makes you feel sorry for those who won't watch foreign films because of subtitles and wonder why audiences dine voraciously on cinematic junk food when such palate pleasers as this are not only delicious but nutritious. (A-)