Simplement irrésistible

This is Sarah Michelle Gellar's best movie! Unpretentious, genuine young lady battling the reality of small business and about to see her whole world go down the kitchen drain when she is saved by wonder.

And that is what this story is about wonder.. and food.

For me the details are everything. The plot is simple and that is probably what disturbs a number of the reviewers.. but they admit it themselves.. and they can't put their finger on it. Here we finally have a story where everything suddenly goes right. And wouldn't you like that to happen to you at least once! The movie has name players but not A-listers. The story features a great deal to do with savouring the taste of food, and who would go to see a movie based on food? Yet.. there are few pictures I enjoy more than this one. I am not a SMG fan, but in this motion picture Sarah is absolutely perfectly cast. It is her 13 Going On 30 role!

This is a very sweet little movie. The "magic" business in it is there to give it a little edge, and I think that they wisely don't explain it, but the movie works best when they underplay it. It's at its best around the "shopping for plates" sequence when the characters discuss how often men think about sex. It's handled with a light touch that is just right. That is the tone that I would have liked to see the movie maintain, and which they hit now and again during the course of it, but also missed from time to time.

It's not a sure thing (it's no "Moonstruck", for example), but if you like romantic comedy it's worth a look. I'd give it a 7/10 (slightly less than 3 stars, but close).

This is a charming film, very well acted and with great production values. But, like the screwball comedies of the thirties, and the musicals of Fred Astaire, it isn't for everyone. Of course, a romantic comedy which is based on the magical ability of a crab to inspire Gellar to feats of culinary greatness is a premise which might be hard for some to swallow. But I think its worth the effort, and it's no dafter than many successful comedy of earlier days. For those who follow such things there are three great references to the films of Fred Astaire. First is when Flannery is choosing the floor design for his new restaurant. The wavy black and white design is straight out of Yolanda and the Thief (1946 MGM) where, in a number called Coffee Time, Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer dance on a huge floor of exactly this design. As if to hammer it home Flannery's boss reacts by saying " it looks like something out of an MGM musical". Reference number two is to The Belle of New York (1952 MGM) where Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen kiss and float up to the ceiling. This is directly quoted in a kitchen scene where, under the influence of the crab, Gellar and Flannery kiss and float to the ceiling. These references are interesting because both films have fantasy/magical themes and both are somewhat looked down on in Astaire's oeuvre. The third reference is to Shall We Dance (1937 RKO)where in the Gershwin number of the same name Fred Astaire is confronted with a long line of Ginger Rodgers masked look-alikes. In Simply Irresistable Gellar appears reflected in a long line of mirrors with Flannery temporarily confused as to where she is, with both of them standing in a set that seems right out of Van Nest Polglase's Art Deco creations for RKO. Here the reference seems to be to the magician's art of illusion. Anyhow, after all that, you should have a feel for whether this film is for you.

This film represents nothing truly exceptional. It has no exceptional acting, messages, faces (maybe Sarah M Gellar, but looks aren't everything), or lines. I didn't spend $7.50 on it to see it in the theater, nor will spend $3.00 at the rental store to see this. But why is it that when I see it on TV (I got cable) 9 out of 10 times I stop to watch it? Maybe because this movie speaks to the little romantic in all of us. We know or will learn that relationships don't make Emeril dishes appear at will or having odd gases spew from deserts but it's still a cute flick with two of the romance and a happy ending.

I'm sorry but I love this movie! I know it's gotten terrible reviews but it's this was not made to be an Oscar winning film. It's a quirky little romantic comedy with touches of magic and wonder. The acting is great and with the amazing Patricia Clarkson you will find yourself giggling the whole movie. Let's face it.. this is not a box office hit. But if you want a beautiful feel good movie to calm you on a Saturday afternoon while you drink your cup of tea.. look no further. It will be put into your "guilty pleasures" bank as soon as you finish it.