Mostly Martha (German with subtitles)

Two famous book titles popped into my mind after I saw this film, Man in Search of his Soul by Henry James and Portrait of the Artist as a young Man by Joyce theres not necessarily a relationship to the content, just the titles. This story is ultimately about a woman finding out who she is, without being aware of the process. This journey is the underlying theme.

What I found wonderfully fascinating was the protagonists portrayal of gourmet cooking as a totally obsessing sensual art form. She was the quintessential chef-artist with attitude, moods and flamboyancy. There are two great scenes in which she confronts customers. But the scene that makes her completely believable as a chef and an artist was her reaction to her home kitchen after someone else had used it.

The film opens with Martha on her therapists couch discussing food. Therapy implies a problem, but it is not the most interesting problem in the story. As the protagonist, it is Marthas personality and situations that drive the story line. Two other characters, Mario, a cook, and Lina, her niece provide important supporting roles.

Martina Gedeck plays Martha. She is German by birth and has had a 17-year career in German TV and films although most of her work has been in TV. I thought she was a perfect choice for this character and this plot. Sergio Castellitto, who plays Mario, is Italian and has had a 20-year career in film with some work in TV. Maxime Foerste plays Lina, Marthas 8-year-old niece. This was her first film. All three main characters and the entire supporting cast did an excellent job.

Sandra Nettlebeck directed this her first full-length film. Her other film was a short in English.

The story line gets off to a slow start, but takes off quickly once the other two main characters come on scene. I thought the therapy scenes were stilted and possibly unnecessary. I also wondered how the restaurant business survived through the turmoil surrounding the main characters, but this was not important to the story. The plot climaxes and resolves in an unexpected way. And there is an anticlimax portrayed in scenes during the final credits. Overall its a film I enjoyed and would recommend.

Reviewed April 16, 2003