Catherine Zeta-Jones & Aaron Eckhart Credit: Warner Bros.

When they succeed, romantic comedies leave us hungry for love, even when we've adjusted our expectations of companionship downward from telegenic movie stars. The satisfying culinary romance "No Reservations," featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart, divides and conquers by making us crave the utterly attainable - spaghetti with fresh basil - as intensely as we do either of its unattainable leads.

Zeta-Jones plays Kate, the talented chef at a Manhattan restaurant called 22 Bleeker. A single thirtysomething, she is more fixated on finding the perfect balance of ingredients than a mate. Through some not very subtle clues - she never smiles, does crossword puzzles and enjoys spending time in the walk-in freezer - we learn Kate needs a good defrosting.

Abigail Breslin looking cute Credit: Warner Bros.

The movie, a remake of the German film "Mostly Martha," gets right down to business by sending in a kid (Abigail Breslin) and a clown (Eckhart) to do the job.

The kid is Kate's niece Zoe, who comes to live with her aunt in the wake of a tragedy, a drama brought to screen movingly yet with dignity by director Scott Hicks ("Shine").