I know that, after over a hundred years of cinema, it is next to impossible for a movie to be original. I also know that it is being very picky on my part, but there are certain plot and character-development devices that pop up in repeatedly in films which tip me off immediately that the effort put out towards making the movie original is only half-baked. This is especially true if this device should be utilized very early in the film.

Take, for instance, a scene that occurs within the first five minutes of the culinary romance No Reservations involving a cold-fish top chef returning home from work and checking her answering machine. As we are so loudly informed by an electronic voice, there are “no new messages.” This device indicates to us, the audience, that this woman has no one calling, no friends, no life outside her work. It’s a tired cliché that has been used more than once too often already.

It would be one thing if this were the only device like this used in the film; but later on, a newly romantic couple take goofy pictures in an arcade photo booth and then ride off into the sunset in a bicycle built for two (three, actually, as there is a kid involved) to end a cheesy montage.

I understand that this film is a remake—of the 2001 German/Italian coproduction Mostly Martha—and by definition not original, but even though I had never seen the original, I still felt like I had seen No Reservations before.

So the film and I may have gotten started out on the wrong foot—but that doesn’t mean it is not without its charms. Thanks in large part to its charismatic stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart and Abigail Breslin, No Reservations has some good qualities about it, even if it isn’t original.

Zeta-Jones is the aforementioned Kate, a popular chef for her warm meals if not for her cold personality. She lives alone and her entire life revolves around cooking. When her sister dies in a car crash on her way for a visit, however, Kate has no choice but to take in her niece Zoe. Suddenly Kate finds herself having to make time for someone else. Someone else who—gasp!—doesn’t like her cooking.

To make matters even more interesting, during her short time off to deal with her sister’s death, Kate’s boss has hired another chef for the kitchen. Nick is an exuberant character who brings a breath of fresh air in the stale kitchen. He is an immediate hit with everyone, except of course Kate, who sees him as a rival.

So we’ve got a man and a woman who are complete opposites of each other (with the exception of their same immense passion for food) and they start out as rivals. It’s pretty easy to see where this film is going to go.

There are some deeply enjoyable scenes, such as one in which Zoe and Nick take Kate on a Pizza safari right in her living room. This is where we first really start to see the ice melt off Kate, eating on the floor and not using plates. I also enjoyed the scenes between Kate and her therapist, whom she of course cooks for while he offers great suggestions like “why not try fish sticks?”

The problem that seems to haunt this film—aside from the unoriginality—is that it cannot seem to decide whether it wants to be a romantic comedy or a mother/daughter drama. The scenes in which Zoe weeps for the loss of her mother are necessary, but not very effective. After earning an Oscar nomination for Little Miss Sunshine, Abigail Breslin almost seems to be playing down to her typical cutesy kid role here.

Zeta-Jones and Eckhart are good as Kate and Nick and a good match for a film like this, but I would have enjoyed to have seen these two talented movie stars provide us with a little more screwball action in the kitchen. The film is set up for it, but never really takes advantage.

Although No Reservations would present very little health hazard, if I had to pick one Hollywood restaurant to give my business to this summer I’d much rather have my meals prepared by a cartoon rat.

No Reservations is rated PG for “some sensuality and language.” Nothing to worry about here; you would be quite safe taking your Abigail Breslin-aged kids to this one.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Jeff attended a promotional screening of No Reservations.