MOSTLY MARTHA
Germany, 2002, 118 minutes, Colour.
Martina Gedeck, Maxim Foerst, Sergio Castellitto.
Directed by Sandra Nettlebeck.
There are seminars these days surveying films made about kitchens and food and quite a number of them there are: for instance, Babette's Feast, The Big Night, What's Cooking. Mostly Martha is a more than worthy addition. It is a pleasing and intelligent drama about middle-aged people who elicit our sympathy and whom we can believe in.
This is an award-winning German film with an empathetic woman's perspective on characters and issues. The director is Sandra Nettlebeck who has filmed in her native Hamburg. The star is an impressive Martine Gedeck who creates a character who can be both fascinating and exasperating as Martha, the chef in a popular restaurant. He long-suffering boss has sent her to a psychiatrist for therapy because Martha is an obsessive perfectionist who finds it difficult to relate to people - especially those impossible customers who complain vociferously and publicly and want to send their meal back on principle. When confronted by Martha they are in no doubt that she is in charge.
Two important events have an effect on Martha. Her sister dies in a car crash and she has to take in her eight year old daughter who is grieving for her mother and resents her aunt. Much of the film is a sensitive look at this relationship. The other event is the arrival of an Italian cook (Sergio Castellitto) to whom she takes an instant dislike. But he and the niece become friends and Martha has to face a different kind of future. It is a good example of how a film can have deep feelings and not be sentimental. Most adult audiences should find this film satisfying on a human level - and with its culinary detail and the display of meals.
1. The appeal of this film? Characters, situations, cooking and meals?
2. The feminine perspective of the film, the contribution of the director-writer, the star and her presence, dramatising the issues?
3. The use of Hamburg, the city itself, the restaurant, apartments? The musical score?
4. The focus on Martha: a portrait of a middle-aged woman, lacking in self-esteem, going to therapy without knowing why, at work, alone in her apartment, her relationship with Freda, being sent to the therapist by Freda, with the other members of the staff, her perfectionism, her direct confrontations with the customers and her angers? With the architect downstairs, friendship, asking him to baby-sit? Mario's arrival and her hostility? The phone call, going to the hospital, the death of her sister, having to take Lina home? The tensions, her inability to deal with children, the growing resentment, the birth of the child by the cook and Martha going, leaving Lina alone at school, the interviews with the principal? The set-up in the apartment, the room? The kitchen? Taking her to the restaurant, her refusal to eat, her interest in cooking? The effect of Mario? Her running away, Martha desperate, getting her back from the railway station? The outings with Mario, her father arriving, Martha letting her go, her decision to go and get Lina, with Mario, the marriage, the dress, the happy banquet? The postscript and her interview with the therapist and his meticulous following of the recipe, the failure with the sugar? Giving a bittersweet ending to the film?
5. The portrait of Lina, the eight-year-old girl, her desperate situation, hospital, going home with Martha, not liking her, the room, refusing to eat, skipping school, the interview with the principal, running away to the station, in the kitchen at the restaurant, Mario and his friendship, playing with her, eating the food, cooking? Her father, Italy, his taking her away, playing with her brothers and sisters? Martha's arrival, her happily going with Martha and Mario? A future with them?
6. Freda, her restaurant, Martha's kitchen, her impatience with Freda, wanting to sack her, not, sending her to the therapist?
7. The picture of the staff, their work in the kitchen, friendship, collaboration, tensions? The pregnant cook, out with Martha, her collapse, the birth?
8. Mario, his background, skills, Martha not liking him, his confronting her, his making her say that he should stay? Contributing to her mellowing, the outings, the care for Lina? Able to speak the truth to her, in love, going to get Lina, the happy Italian banquet?
9. The man downstairs, friendship, Martha breaking through her loneliness, his babysitting Lina, his own children and Lina playing with them?
10. Lina's father, the separation, his being in Italy, coming back, a nice man, taking Lina, the happy home in Italy?
11. The glimpse of the therapist, his clothes, room, different ways of treating Martha, asking her questions, listening to her stories, bewildered by her - and finally trying to follow her recipe?
12. The importance of the food, the symbolism of food, bringing people together, shared happiness, the happy customers in the restaurant, the cantankerous customers? The visualising of the cooking, the recipes, the actual cooking, the results? Culinary themes, human and family themes, themes of love?
