Raising Helen eats Ratatouille in this picture. The unexpected thrust into parenthood due to a tragedy and the pressures and extravagance of the culinary arts and fine dining are combined in this tasty dish. I went in expecting a romantic comedy but I was surprised with a romantic drama, extra drama with a side of comedy. The focus was primarily on Zoe (Abigail Breslin) and her tragic situation. As well it should because we sometimes take these scenarios too lightly not realizing the impact it has on a child. Kind of catches you off guard at times, but in a good way.
Master Chef Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is an uptight, passionate perfectionist when it comes to her kitchen. She is backed up by her talent and reputation. Her demanding career makes her mostly alone until a tragic event brings her 9 year old niece Zoe to her door. Inexperienced and emotionally ill-equipped, she takes on this major life change with a constant reminder that Zoe’s life change is even more drastic. Balancing her grief, her niece’s grief, and the added responsibilities of parenthood, she tries to maintain control of the kitchen. Forced to take some time off to recoup, a new Sous-Chef is hired to help out during her absence. Nick (Aaron Eckhart) is the complete opposite of Kate except for the talent and passion for cooking. He struggles to show her that life doesn’t have to be so rigid and controlled.
Catherine Zeta-Jones oozes the uptight, control freak type characters. She does it so well it’s scary. That combined with her classic silver screen beauty (needed for the romance portion of the show) makes her perfect for this role. Aaron Eckhart does not cease to amaze me. He can do good guy, bad guy, “rocket” scientist, corporate spokesperson, and free-spirited Sous-Chef almost effortlessly. I think he is underrated. The little girl that had amebas in her water in Signs and danced like her grandpa taught her in Little Miss Sunshine delights us again with a strong performance in this one. She is definitely one of the great child stars of today. The cookie cutter characters were predictable, but the performances gave them the extra chocolate chips.
Beyond the taste buds, the sights and sounds of the movie were very nice as well. The music was appropriate and well used, like opera in the kitchen for instance. The cinematography was masterful. The scenes in Kate’s apartment were so cozy, even the hallway was appealing. The hustle in the kitchen was well covered and smooth, down to the escape room, the walk-in freezer.
Director Scott Hicks (Hearts in Atlantis, Snow Falling on Cedars) successfully blended the talent he was working with to bring us this delectable story. This is not your typical lightly-salted date movie, but still a date movie nonetheless. Although it smells like cliche', it is a nice change of pace from the ordinary. Priscilla would have really enjoyed it. It will touch your heart in a different way. Oh yeah, it touches your stomach too. I don’t know about you, but it made me hungry.
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Raising Helen eats Ratatouille in this picture. The unexpected thrust into parenthood due to a tragedy and the pressures and extravagance of the culinary arts and fine dining are combined in this tasty dish. I went in expecting a romantic comedy but I was surprised with a romantic drama, extra drama with a side of comedy. The focus was primarily on Zoe (Abigail Breslin) and her tragic situation. As well it should because we sometimes take these scenarios too lightly not realizing the impact it has on a child. Kind of catches you off guard at times, but in a good way.
