Aaron Eckhart Spices Up 'No Reservations'

posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 in Movies

Golden Globe Best Actor nominee Aaron Eckhart (“The Core,” “Thank You For Smoking”) makes beautiful `dishes’ together with Catherine Zeta-Jones in Warner Bros.’ new, culinary-themed romantic drama “No Reservations.”



In the film, master chef Kate Armstrong (Zeta-Jones) lives her life like she runs her kitchen at a trendy Manhattan eatery—with a no-nonsense intensity that both captivates and intimidates everyone around her. Kate's perfectionist nature is put to the test when she "inherits" her nine-year-old niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin), while contending with a brash new sous-chef who joins her staff. High-spirited and freewheeling, Nick Palmer (Eckhart) couldn't be more different from Kate, yet the chemistry between them is undeniable. Rivalry becomes romance, but Kate will have to learn to express herself beyond the realm of her kitchen if she wants to connect with Zoe and find true happiness with Nick.

Citing their characters’ first encounter in the kitchen, Aaron Eckhart says, “Kate takes one look at this casual, easygoing new chef, playing opera and telling jokes, and she thinks he’s not taking the job seriously. It would appear that way but, in truth, Nick just has his own style. Once he feels Kate’s blast of hostility, he assumes the rubber band theory of ‘don’t break, just bend,’ and tries to be as nice and charming as possible in the hope that she will eventually let down her guard.”



The arrival of Nick changes everything—dramatically. “He’s flamboyant; he fills the kitchen with the sounds of opera and singing, and the staff is laughing at his jokes. It’s a completely different atmosphere with his presence and Kate doesn’t like it,” says producer Kerry Heysen, who concedes that, from Kate’s point of view, there could also be another, more insidious nuance in play. As a woman who has achieved a level of success and autonomy in a highly competitive field with few plumb positions, Kate considers Nick a potential threat to her professionally.

But in truth, Nick takes the sous-chef job as an opportunity to work with, and learn from, master chef Kate, whom he admires. “The romance is as much a surprise to him as it is to her,” Eckhart offers. “The difference is that once he recognizes it, he’s ready to embrace it, but she isn’t quite there yet, which means he has to be exceptionally charming and very creative. When he can’t get through to her any other way, he uses the language she understands best: food.”

Eckhart adds, “It’s through these conflicts that Kate will find the joy in life. Zoe and Nick change everything and really start breaking her down. But it’s up to Kate where she’s going to go from there to overcome her problems and find growth and new life.” “This role shows a wonderfully light side of Aaron, which we don’t always see. A lot of his roles have been quite intense,” observes Zeta-Jones.

Opening soon across the Philippines, “No Reservations” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Entertainment Company.

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