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 Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua Para Chocolat) (1992)Rated: R for sexuality and nudity. Runtime: 123 mins. Director: Alfonso Arau Writer: Laura Esquivel (novel and screenplay) Tagline: "A feast for the senses" Cast: Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, Regina Torné....complete cast Genre: Drama/Romance Most memorable quote: Tita knows how contact with fire alters elements, how dough becomes a tortilla and that a breast untouched by love just isn't a breast but a useless ball of dough.
Awards:
Based on Laura Esquivel's novel, the story takes place in early 1900's Mexico and is about the family of Tita (Lumi Cavazos), the youngest daughter of the tyrannical and obnoxiously stubborn mother, Elena (Regina Torne). Tita literally grew up in the kitchen and has the wonderful adeptness of relating life and love to her cooking. "Tita knows how contact with fire alters elements, how dough becomes a tortilla and that a breast untouched by love just isn't a breast but a useless ball of dough." Throughout the movie we are touched by many of these clever little epicurean witticisms that equate sexuality with the art of cooking. Tita's budding romance with Pedro (Marco Leonardi) is nipped early in the process by Mama Elena, who declares that Tita will never marry - she must maintain the family tradition that necessitates the youngest daughter forego marriage to care for her mother until death do them part. Mama Elena instead suggests that Pedro marry Tita's oldest sister. Pedro foolishly agrees, thinking that simply marrying into the family will put him that much closer to his true love, Tita. Tita scornfully reacts to the decision by pouring all of her soul and emotion into her cooking. While preparing the wedding cake for her sister's marriage to Pedro, her tears of sorrow fall into the batter. As a result, all of the guests who eat the cake are overcome by sorrow to the point of weeping uncontrollably. Later, she infuses her latent sexual desires into a quail dish that causes her middle sister Gertrudis (Claudette Maille) to be so overcome by sexual passion that she must resort to the bathhouse to cool herself down. Here she is swept up into the saddle by a Mexican revolutionary soldier and carried away. While some are a bit over the top, Esquivel's little metaphorical bon mots bring a tasty intimacy and freshness to the movie. She has a masterful command of language and emotion and her storytelling meshes nicely with director Alfonso Arau's unique sense of lighting and intimacy. The screen always has an earthen glow that fills your senses with a homey sensuality. While most movies only encroach on the sense of sight and sound, Like Water for Chocolate is almost successful in transcending the sense of smell. I swear I could almost always smell the delicious aroma of Tita's gourmet dishes. Like Water for Chocolate is a tale of mystical romance and revenge grounded with the horrible realism of forbidden love and broken hearts. Foreign film lovers will be enthralled with the story and art-film lovers will wallow in its visual atmosphere. Frank Wilkins Read visitor comments and postings here
Screen formats: Widescreen 1.85:1 Subtitles: English Sound: Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround. Other Features: interactive menus, scene access.
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