Mostly Martha

An uptight professional chef, who cooks with chilly precision and not an ounce of warmth, has her heart thawed by an orphaned child and a new lover whom she hates at first sight. First-time feature writer/director Sandra Nettelbeck transformed this formulaic premise into a fresh and charming film, her slyly astringent sensibility perfectly offsetting the story's inherent sweetness. Chef Martha Klein (Martina Gedeck) rules her kitchen in a trendy Hamburg restaurant with an iron hand, retreating to the walk-in freezer for a literal and metaphorical cool down when her formidably frigid facade threatens to melt under pressure. Martha's meals are marvels of taste, color a...