From "Babette's Feast" and "Tampopo" to "Big Night" and "Like Water For Chocolate", filmmakers have always been fascinated with the cinematic potential of food.

The German comedy "Mostly Martha" is the latest picture to find its way to the audience's heart through their stomach.

When we first meet Martha (Martina Gedeck), she's at the top of her game. Head chef at one of Hamburg's swankiest restaurants, she keeps her kitchen spotless, her staff on edge, and her life free of complications.

But underneath, she's a mess. She sees a shrink, can't find a man, and has no appetite - for life, for love, or for food. (That's good news for her psychiatrist and her neighbour, who are continually bombarded with Martha's leftovers.)

Two arrivals throw her carefully ordered existence into turmoil. Firstly, she is forced to look after eight-year-old niece Lina (Maxime Foerste) when her sister is killed in a car accident. Then her boss employs a new sous-chef, the charming Italian Mario (Sergio Castellitto), who quickly turns her kitchen upside down.

The conflict between Martha's rigidity and Mario's high spirits make for a colourful culture clash, though we know it won't be long before he breaks through her defences. Similarly, you don't need an egg-timer to chart Martha's progression from cold loner to kindly surrogate mom.

But while her story may be familiar, writer-director Sandra Nettelbeck invests it with enough sincerity, charm, and sly wit to make us overlook its shortcomings. Like most haute cuisine, it's all in the presentation.

In German with English subtitles.

"Mostly Martha" opens in UK cinemas on Friday 16th May 2003.