Mostly Martha
2001 · Movie · 106 min · ★ 6.7 · 82% critics
A driven head chef lives for perfection in the kitchen and keeps everyone at arm’s length. Her tightly controlled routine is upended when she suddenly becomes responsible for a young child, forcing her to juggle grief, work pressures, and unexpected new connections at home and in the restaurant.
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Details
- Original title
- Bella Martha
- Years
- 2001
- Release date
- 2001-09-09
- Language
- German
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Critic score
- 82/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.7/10 (113 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a cozy, food-filled mix of humor, grief, and slow-blooming connection, similar in spirit to About a Boy or Soul Kitchen; Not for you if you dislike subtitles or prickly, high-strung leads.
Pros: warm foodie atmosphere; heartfelt comedy-drama; strong lead performance | Cons: predictable beats; some stereotypes; romance feels thin
Themes
- loss of loved one
- italy
- competition
- cooking
- mother role
- bars and restaurants
- restaurant
- woman director
- french cuisine
Awards & recognition
- European Film Award — Best Actor · 2002
- European Film Award — Best Actress · 2002 · nominated
- European Film Award — Best Actor · 2002 · nominated
Cast & crew
Martina Gedeck
as Martha Klein
- MF
Maxime Foerste
as Lina Klein
Sergio Castellitto
as Mario
August Zirner
as Martha´s Therapist
Ulrich Thomsen
as Sam Thalberg
Sibylle Canonica
as Frida
Katja Studt
as Lea
İdil Üner
as Bernadette
Oliver Broumis
as Jan
Antonio Wannek
as Carlos
Directed by Sandra Nettelbeck