Review of No Reservations (2007) by Cole M — 20 Jun 2010

3: I'm not sure what the critics disliked so much about this one. I loved it. It gets better every time I see it as well. It didn't get some of the details of NYC right, but few films do (the size of Nick's apartment and the fact that he drives a truck; I've seen maybe 1 or 2 trucks in 4 years of living in Manhattan).

It's definitely an unusual take on the romantic comedy formula. It veers so far from the recent examples that one might not even think to call it a romantic comedy. The kitchen isn't quite as well-defined, energetic, and interesting as Ratatouille, but it is still wonderful (the food and wine look great).

Eckhart and Zeta-Jones have good chemistry and give good performances, even if Eckhart's character is a little too caricatured. Breslin, Clarkson, and the rest of the cast work as well. It seems far more honest than the average picture in the genre, which is a very good thing.

It adds a layer of melancholy and seriousness to a usually light genre, yet retains the core elements that make it enjoyable. Great score, but of course that's a given when you're dealing with Glass.