Mostly Martha Response

Mostly Martha was an interesting film mostly because of the personality of the protagonist, neurotic Martha and her overly obsessed sense of cooking. She was very particular with the ingredients in meals and getting the taste just right. Working as a chef in an upscale restaurant in Germany, she completely controlled her kitchen and took offense to any negative criticism to her cooking. She aimed to please and when told a meal wasn't right, she was quick to act and would direct her anger towards the unsatisfied customer. Cooking took over her life and she had no social life outside of her job. She did however work well with the other cooks in her kitchen and it seemed to be her only connection to people. I found it intriguing that someone so removed from others could connect with her cooking. It was Martha's only means of relating to others. I liked her desire to satisfy people with her dishes and even offered her downstairs neighbor a meal. It was her gift to people, even if she did not necessarily want to start a relationship with them.

Martha's sister passed in the film and she had to take responsibility of her 8-year old niece, Lina. At first Lina was not comfortable living with Martha and would not eat. This concerned Martha and she did not know how to convince Lina to eat a meal, even after she offered to cook anything she wanted. it wasn't until she took Lina to work with her that Lina finally ate what her coworker, Mario, offered her. I thought this was the point in Martha and Lina's relationship where there was a sense of closeness. By introducing Lina to the kitchen, Martha was able to relate with her young niece. I thought it was a special bond they both had and great that young Lina was able to experience the chaos of a busy kitchen. She began helping prepare vegetables and watched as the adults around her made spectacular meals. I can imagine being a child at that age and watching all it takes to make a meal. I wasn't allowed to go into the kitchen when I was that age because my mom felt I would get in the way so it was great to see Lina being able to experience the kitchen.

Eventually Lina and Martha fight and to make amends Lina asks for Martha to invite Mario to cook dinner at their home. When he arrives Martha is kicked out of the kitchen and Lina is able to cook for the first time with Mario outside of the restaurant kitchen. The bond that is created between the three of them was great because Lina gets a sense of belonging. I love that again, food is bringing people together and helping create a loving relationship. Another part in the film I really loved was when Martha tells Lina she wished there was a recipe for her to follow in order to understand her. I think we all try and figure people out and the metaphor used of the recipe was great. Overall I appreciate the way the film uses cooking to manifest a bond between two isolated individuals who probably otherwise would've never connected.