**THE UGLY: 'NO RESERVATIONS'**

WRITING: 50
ACTING: 75
LOOK: 50
SOUND: 50
FEEL: 70
NOVELTY: 30
ENJOYMENT: 65
RE-WATCHABILITY: 55
INTRIGUE: 60
EXPECTATIONS: 60

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**THE GOOD:**

You don't see movies this naturally embedded within the culinary arts every day. It's always a joy to see.

Aaron Eckhart brings a lot of charm and fun with his performance. He's lovely with Breslin.

The montages of the characters making food and having a good time are filled with heart and soul and made me very happy.

I don’t say this very often, but the child actor trumps the grown-ups this time round. Then again, it’s Abigail Breslin.

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**THE BAD:**

Catherine Zeta-Jones is so low-key and absent during most of his that she seems bored to death all the time.

Zeta-Jones' chemistry with Abigail Breslin isn't the best, but it's almost worse between her and Eckhart.

Some of the directing and cinematography seems a bit sloppy, which gives the film a rough and unpolished look.

Ultimately, the script combines a fairly unsurprising relationship drama with the highs and lows of running a restaurant, without delving too deeply into any after plots. It's straightforward and not very flashy and doesn't make attempts to bring something new to the table.

This film needed more food, drink and culinary joy. Those parts are the most enjoyable aspects of the film.

The film loses momentum in the final act ad we wait for the plot to warp up.

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**THE UGLY:**

God, that pasta looks delicious!

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**VERDICT:**

_Eckhart and Breslin save this rom-com, hampered slightly by an uninspiring performance from Zeta-Jones and a generic plot._

**57% = :heavy_minus_sign: = UGLY**