Like Water for Chocolate (1992) User Reviews

Rich and satisfying

[saraarts · 8/10 · 28 May 2000]

Years ago, in California, I walked into a gas station convenience store to buy some consumable or other. The man who took my money was a Mexican emigre, and he saw that I was carrying a copy of the book Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. He asked how I liked it, and I told him I was loving it. He told me not to miss the movie.

"Oh," I answered, "but I always worry that the movie will never be as good as the book."

"It doesn't matter," he told me. "This is a very great film. And it is the first real Mexican film I have ever seen shown in this country. You know, to everybody, not just the Mexican community."

I smiled and told him I would check it out, but honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about. After all, I knew who Dolores Del Rio and Cantinflas were, and the movies with them that I had seen were shown in L.A., to everybody.

But now, at last, I have seen this movie, and now, at last, I know what this guy was talking about. Like, wow! This really is a real Mexican film! Art! Cinema! More than just a bit of popular fluff!

Tender, compassionate and very witty, like the book on which it is based, this movie celebrates Mexican culture -- not just on the food, the preparation of which forms the premise of the story, but as kind of a rollicking take on the history of the young country at the turn of the century. It celebrates the music, the style of life on a ranch, the strength of the extended family, the beauty of the land, and the ethnic mixing pot that is every Mexican.

There is so much reckless joy and passionate love in this film, even when it portrays pain. It openly depicts female eroticism. (Plus, for a big change from US cinema, we get to see beautiful men and women of many shapes, sizes and colors all on the same screen.) The acting is flawless, and the star, Lumi Cavazos, is absolutely charming, full of life and credibility.

The only flaws I found in this film were minor and had to do with timing. For example, the final ascent to the climax seems to have been shortchanged a little bit. I would have liked to reach through this scene a little more slowly.

To judge Mexican cinema by the type of films I had seen before this one would be like judging U.S. cinema on the basis of Jerry Lewis or some cheesy melodramas from the '40s and '50s, but not taking into account any of our real film art. I'd love to know what else I've missed. Can't wait to find out.

Let it cast its spell on you

[dwr246 · 8/10 · 7 March 2006]

When I first saw this movie, I thought I didn't like it. But when I found that I could think of nothing else for the next several days, I realized that it had cast its spell on me. Indeed, it will take you to a magical place if you let it.

The plot is apparently a common one in Spanish literature. A woman in a loveless but proper marriage has three daughters. Shortly after the birth of the youngest, her husband dies, leaving her a widow with a ranch to run and three daughters to raise. Family tradition dictates that the youngest daughter must never marry, but rather stay and care for the mother as she ages. It is this youngest daughter, Tita (Lumi Cavazos), that we follow as she struggles with this oppressive tradition, which her mother, Elena (Regina Torne) forces upon her. Tita, a beautiful young woman, is loved by Pedro (Marco Leonardi), but his request for her hand in marriage is spurned by Elena, who suggests he marry her eldest daughter, the homely Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi). Pedro does this so he can live at the ranch and be near Tita. Tita's other sister, Gertrudis (Claudette Maille) and her nurse, Nacha (Ada Carrasco) are sympathetic to her plight. Rosaura is oblivious of Pedro's preference for her sister. Elena, however, is quite well aware of it, and it only serves to enhance her cruelty towards Tita. It's a no win situation for Tita, but she manages to make the best of it, by putting her repressed emotions into her cooking, with some surprising results.

It's not the pleasantest of stories, nor the most sensible. One would think that Elena, who is supposed to be a fairly intelligent woman, would treat Tita more kindly since she is forcing Tita to stay with her. Their conflict resonates throughout the movie, driving the story along with a great deal of power. Along the way, we get a little magic, a lot of humor, and an unfortunately tragic ending. And it is a tale that stays with you long after the movie has finished.

The acting is wonderful. Cavazos gives us a heroine you can't help liking. Balancing her is Torne, who plays Elena with malice that would give even Joan Crawford pause. Arizmendi does a nice job with Rosaura, giving us a character who starts out pleasant enough, but whose upset at what befalls her causes her to become just like her mother. Maille's Gertrudis is a wonderful, if slightly manipulative, free spirit. Leonardi's Pedro is a bit wimpy, making me wonder what Tita and Rosaura see in him, but still turns in a good performance.

The cinematography is gorgeous, giving an enjoyable view of the Mexican countryside. And the presentation of the food is stunning, making your mouth water.

This film is a delight for the senses, and one that is well worth seeing.

A cookbook turned fairy tale

[donaldavis · 8/10 · 13 May 2003]

Usually when I read a book, I am disappointed by the movie; there is so much more in the written word than can be put on screen. And when I see a movie I never want to read the book afterwards. This was the first movie that I read the book after seeing the movie; Como Agua Para Chocolate is THAT good a movie! And the book is WONDERFUL! The fairy tale aspect of this movie is told subtly, but with a strong Hispanic sense of mysticism-- you have the evil (step)mother, the heroine as Virgin Mary, who has magical powers, unrequited love, the unobtainable prince, and other classic fairy tale elements. This combines with the real elements of the Mexican Revolution and old world family practices revolving around family relations, martimony, and most of all cooking. Food plays a major role in this movie, but even more so in the book. I recommend both the book and the movie.

good premise, poor execution

[bpalizzolo22 · 6/10 · 10 March 2010]

This film had all the ingredients to be a great movie, however, it never materialized on screen. With so many interesting characters, it was disappointing that none of them except Tita connected in a meaningful way and evoked much emotion from from me. Pedro was a prime example of this. Instead of rooting for him, i found myself not only disinterested in his wimpy character but actually disliking him altogether.

Again, i thought this film had a great premise, but failed to deliver on screen. i truly loved the magical realism, and thought the director should have focused more on Titas ability to connect to people through food.

A visually exciting, intensely erotic movie

[FrankL · 10/10 · 17 June 1999]

This is a wonderful, fanciful and very erotic movie. It is a rare film that is as good as the book on which it is based. It was a wise decision to have Laura Esquivel, the author of the book, write the screenplay. The story contains so much fantasy, I thought it might be very difficult to translate it sucessfully to the screen, but the results are superb.

The scene in which Tita's sister is so aroused after eating Tita's Rose Petal soup that she literally burns down their outdoor shower from her body heat and then runs naked across the plain only to be scooped up and carried away on horseback by a bandit is one of the sexiest moments ever put on film.

This movie is not for everyone, but if you enjoy erotic (but NOT pornographic) fantasy, try "Like Water for Chocolate"!

A deeply moving and sensuous tale of forbidden love...

[entrapment27 · 10 November 2003]

I saw Como agua para chocolate partway through on the spanish channel and was immediately entranced by it's raw beauty and emotion.Thank God for those subtitles or I would have moved on. It's a tale of old traditions in Mexico and Tita, the youngest daughter, is the one doomed to follow them.The tradition is that the youngest is to stay with her mother and take care of her and remain single the rest of her life while her oldest sister gets to marry. For Tita though, it's too much for her to bear having fallen in love with Pedro, the one that her sister is to marry. Later he admits to Tita that he only married her sister to be near her.The rest of the story is for you to uncover.

I have never seen a more romantic scene in any movie where Gertrudis runs from the burning shower down the road and is swept into the arms of her lover and carried away. It's a stunningly sensual film that is deeply moving. If you haven't seen it, watch it with a lover.That only adds to the romance of the story!

Unpredictable and romantic

[rosscinema · 7/10 · 19 August 2002]

The two things that stood out for me in this film are the telling of this story and how you had no idea what was going to happen next and of course the performance of Lumi Cavazos. Its one of those rare experiences that stay with you long after you have seen the film. Both strong and self assured. Whats really amazing is that its Cavazos first film role (That I know of, anyway) her natural charm is essential to this story. Not a film for all taste's but a very unique movie overflowing with romantic grandeur.

Very enjoyable movie, educational and entertaining

[dthal-1 · 10/10 · 4 May 2005]

Like Water for Chocolate is a wonderful romantic movie set in Mexico at the turn of the 20th century during the Mexican revolution. It is the story of a woman named Tita and the love of her life Pedro. When Tita is young, Pedro asks Tita's mother for her permission to marry Tita; however, due to the fact that Tita is the youngest daughter, family tradition bans her from marrying and she must remain unwed to care of her mother. Pedro then marries Rosaura, Tita's sister, and tells his father that he is only marrying Rosaura to be closer to Tita. Very upset by all of this and her loveless situation, Tita infuses her passion and love for Pedro into her food and thus, when people consume her cooking they become intensely aroused, at one point resulting in her sister Gertrudis getting lustfully swept away by a revolutionary soldier. Tita's mother sees that she and Pedro are becoming quite close and so she sends Pedro and Rosaura off to go and live in San Antonio. Tita becomes very depressed and even more depressed when she hears that Pedro and Rosaura's son Roberto has died; so depressed that her mother sends her to an asylum. At the asylum, Tita is brought back to health by a doctor named John Browne. No sooner does Tita begin to recover when her mother is injured by rebel soldiers in a raid and she is forced to return home to her ranch. When Tita returns home, her mother is very bitter and refuses to eat thinking that Tita's food is poisoned and soon dies.

After Tita's mother dies, Tita is allowed to marry and the doctor, John Browne, proposes. John asks Pedro to bless the marriage and when talking to Tita about this Pedro lustfully takes her virginity. The movie continues with the main premise of who Tita will choose to spend her life with, Pedro or John Browne and her battle against her mother's ghost.

The movie interestingly depicts revolutionary Mexico and the soldiers involved. The Mexican Revolution was mainly between supporter of Díaz, very conservative, and supporters of Madero and Zapata who believed in land reform and more help to the indigenous. The fighting between the two factions continued quite intensely until February 9, 1913 when President Wilson sent Madero a message saying that his fighting in Mexico City was dangerous to U.S. citizens and property. Madero hated this foreign intervention, but Huerta was placed in power to quell the fighting. Huerta was well liked by the aristocracy, the capitalists, and church but was hated by Zapata, Pancho Villa, Carranza and Obregón who led the opposition right after his induction as president. The fighting then continued and later even began within the liberal faction, but died down when Carranza was named President.

The movie does a good job showing the different types of soldiers, those with Díaz and those with Madera and Zapata. Tita's sister Gertrudis runs off with a revolutionary and returns later as a general in charge of an army of fifty five men. Tita's mother was harmed by soldiers as well, but a more violent type of soldier. The movie does an excellent job illustrating the uncertainty of the period and the different roles people played. The history is accurate, but I thought it might be a bit helpful for their to be a little bit more background for it could be hard to someone who does not know about the Mexican Revolution to understand what is happening.

All in all, the acting was very good, the storyline was enticing, and the cinematography was excellent. It is definitely a movie worth watching, both as entertainment and as something educational. Rating this movie out of ten points, ten being the highest, I give it a ten easily. It is a very enjoyable movie.

food, family, and passion

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 22 July 2016]

Tita (Lumi Cavazos) was born in the kitchen in 1895 Rio Grande, Mexico. After the death of her father, her mother vows to force her youngest Tita to care for her entire life. Tita grows up in the kitchen with servant Nacha. She falls in love with Pedro Muzquiz but her mother refuses to permit her to marry. Her mother offers older sister Rosaura and Pedro accepts hoping to stay close to Tita. Tita's tears infuse the wedding cake with her sadness.

This has a great magically realism. It's a fable of food, family, and passion. The story is fun and fanciful. Lumi Cavazos is a sweet endearing lead. The only drawback is the limited chemistry in the epic romance. It's probably asking too much. They don't have much time together before they have to be Romeo and Juliet. Then they have to be apart. It's submerged passion and Pedro doesn't always come across well.

A Breath of Hot Oxygen: 10/10

[anyazontova · 10/10 · 4 August 2002]

Like Water for Chocolate is a masterpiece in that it conveys the essence of our ancestors' knowledge forgotten in the fast pace of modern living.

It centers around the wonder of cooking: a sacred ritual, not a boring chore; and when done right, with love, it creates magic. Raised and taught to cook by her old Mayan nanny, Tita (exquisitely performed by Lumi Cavazos) masters the near-magical ability of transferring her love and other feelings into her creations passed into one who eats them.

The characters‘ senses are so refined, they enable everyone involved in this family drama to be tuned to the finest nuances of their world, opening the door to non-material pleasures. Rich with metaphors, their language reflects the skills of keen and sometimes humorous observation. The story brings our perception to a different level - as its characters' empathy borders on miracles and magic, and things we only sense and feel become real. Tita's virgin breasts, feeling `like dough kneaded' by strong hands, turn into mature breasts under Pedro's burning eyes (to later start lactating) - their glances, just like her food, becoming the means of communicating their forbidden love.

Yet all magic becomes wasted in the face of a man's choice. The Universe may scream into Pedro's ears about the path he is to take, but if he doesn't follow it, no magic can save him. We witness the story of a fatal attraction between two soulmates, whose passion, confined by an enslaving family tradition, lights up everyone around them... But for themselves, it's so intense, it literally engulfs the lovers in flames. Did they have an alternative? It is for the viewer to figure out.

You may ponder, however, over the young doctor's Indian grandmother saying that `each of us is born with a box of matches inside but we can't strike them all by ourselves; we need oxygen and a candle to help. The oxygen would come from a lover's breath; the candle could be a food, a melody, a word, a caress, or a sound...' He remembers her warning, though, that `it is important to light the matches one at a time' because otherwise the heat generated would produce too dazzling a brilliance.

Thus the wisdom of the ages, just like the power, is passed here through women and the men who are in tune with them. And the intense interactions between the colorful characters of five generations extend to dead family members who continue to counsel or despise the living.

When coming into her room with Pedro after 22 years of their waiting for each other, Tita is greeted by her long deceased nanny lighting her bed and the room with multiple candles. And the consequences of one's actions carries on beyond time - as each person continues her path notwithstanding death.

Hot yellow-red colors intermixed with dense lighting rekindle one's passion for living and appreciation for the gifts and mysteries of the Mexican land. The magic realism becomes a way of living in a culture connected with its heritage.

I recommend Like Water for Chocolate to anyone who feels like he/she is lacking color and passion in life - if watched with an open mind and heart, this beautiful and enigmatic film will stir your senses and imagination and light up your box of matches!

Just Okay

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 26 January 2016]

This movie is about how life used to be in Mexico. It is a love story between Pedro and Tita, and why they couldn't get married because Tita's mother wanted her oldest daughter to get married first, and have Tita to stay and take care of her. It shows how marriage was imposed on those times, and how a love between two people can change everything.

This is supposed to be a great film, but for me it just did not resonate. I appreciate the movie to a point, and it is good to see a film from Mexico (the country needs a bigger industry, perhaps). Most of all, I love that apparently Robert Rodriguez hung around the set before becoming an A-list director for Hollywood.

But overall, this is not one that really had any impact on me whatsoever, so I can only give it a middling grade.

A great film representation of magical realism

[burgan6203 · 8/10 · 1 December 2004]

I'm greatly surprised at some of the negative comments for "Like Water for Chocolate", many of which state how it utterly failed to capture the passion or the mystical tone of Laura Esquivel's book.

I suppose it's only a matter of opinion(like pretty much everything, I guess), but I thought the movie represented the book's magical realism in a great way. The filmmakers knew not to exaggerate or take everything over the top(which could've been very easy), and this gives the fantastical moments-- such as all the guests becoming ill at the wedding or the shower bursting into flame as Gertrudis bathed-- an essential grounding in reality. This fact is also buttressed by the erotic musical score and the whole cast, who fit the characters from the novel perfectly IMO.

I would recommend giving the film of "Like Water for Chocolate" a go; and trying out the book as well.

Like Water for Hot Chocolate: A novel in monthly installments with recipes, romances and home remedies.

[Galina_movie_fan · 6/10 · 14 July 2009]

I missed this movie when it was released back in 1993 but I've wanted to see it for long time because I've read and heard so much praise for it, and from the description it sounds (and tastes) like my kind of movie: "The passionate Tita (Lumi Cavazos) is in love with Pedro (Marco Leonardi), but her controlling mother (Regina Torne) forbids her from marrying him. When Pedro instead marries her sister, Tita throws herself into her cooking -- and discovers she can transfer her emotions through the food she prepares." Passionate romance that is hot like boiling water for chocolate, delicious food that changes the people in the most amazing ways, magical realism - these are the components for a perfect cinema dish. I was salivating while waiting for the DVD to arrive from Netflix...

Well, now I've seen it and even though I like it, it did not seem so magical. Of course, this is very much in the South American literature tradition of magic realism. More than once, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez came to my mind, especially his two major novels, 100 Hundreds Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. I easily recognized supernatural realities that organically become a part of everyday life in a Mexican Farm in the beginning of the 20th century. Like in "Love in the Time of Cholera" the unrequited and undying love that lives through decades and all sorts of obstacles, plays the major part in Like Water for chocolate. The film has some beautifully done emotional and sensual scenes but overall, something is missing. Maybe it is simply impossible to adequately adapt this sort of literature to the screen? Whatever is truly magical, unique, and beautiful in the words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters where you can create your own vision of what you read simply does not always make you accept fully the film creators' vision. What is meaningful, moving, and passionate on the pages of the brilliantly written book, may lose its charm and seem preposterous or pretentious while being adapted to the film. Like Water for Chocolate is an entertaining movie with the exotic settings and very interesting idea of expressing the repressed love, unfulfilled longing, desperation, and hope in cooking and in the ability to change the people's lives and fates through the meals they consume. It was just difficult for me to fully accept the fateful romance between two main characters and the old tradition of not letting a youngest daughter in the family to get married and to fulfill her own dreams of happiness. Maybe this book requires another cinematic reading with better production values including more fluid camera work. The way it is, some scenes just end abruptly, and the following scenes would not make much sense. Where the movie succeeds for me, is in my wish to find and read the novel, to capture its magic to which each reader keeps referring, and to try to cook some of the Tita's dishes. The novel which consists of twelve chapters named after twelve months opens each chapter with a new recipe. Now when I think of it, if Tita had been happily married to Pedro, she more likely would not have become such a genius in cooking and there would not have been her delicious recipes for us to enjoy.

The movie overall.

[asdbarijhgx · 3/10 · 15 April 2011]

"Like Water For Chocolate"; a book that was later made into a movie. Like Water For Chocolate is about a girl Tita who is the youngest of three children, with an unfair mother. Tita, the rebellious of the three, does not want to follow the family tradition which is -- the youngest girl in the family may not marry, but instead, take care of their mother until she dies. Unfortunately, Tita found love with a man who loved Tita as much as she loved him but married her oldest sister, and before long she found another man to marry who took care of her at the worst time in her life. How does Tita solve the conflict?

After watching the movie, I thought that the movie could not quite grasp the person watching the same way the book did with the readers. Each chapter in the book was separated by a recipe which would give the reader a bit of a hint as to what was going to happen next, but since it's a movie, it was very difficult to separate scenes with recipes. The movie was also like a 1:30 hour soap opera. If you like bad acting and drama, this is the movie for you; if you want a quick, easy read and you want to use your imagination to the fullest, I would suggest the book.

Much better than the book, which I never got around to reading!

[TxMike · 2 June 2002]

I had heard of "Like Water for Chocolate" for a long time and finally got around to seeing it on DVD yesterday. The English subtitles are very well done, both in vocal matching and vocal pacing. As Ebert explains, water for chocolate is very hot, and that's what kind of passion Tita's cooking arouses in others, when she adds her magic ingredient.

Set in early 1900s Mexico, Tita is the youngest and "by family tradition" is told she cannot marry but must stay and take care of her mother until she dies. Being a rather young and healthy mother, that seemed like forever. The young man who loves her marries her sister instead so he can stay close to Tita. In addition to her exquisite cooking, she has a special way with babies, caring for her nephew, secretly breast feeding him, who dies shortly after they move to Texas. He wouldn't eat anymore.

Eventually Tita tires of her mother's oppression, leaves, marries a doctor, mother dies, things get complicated, 22 years later she and first love consumate but he dies from the passion, she eats matches symbolicly and they burn up in the bed together. Starnge ending, and the whole film has mysticism mixed in, including appearances by the deseaced mother. Still, a fascinating film.

(BTW, my "one line summary" is intended to parody all those who feel compelled to overly criticize a movie for not being exactly like a book. My advice? Either quit reading books, or quit seeing the movies based on them, but please quit your infernal nit-picking! Please. Think it if you will, but we don't want to read it.)

well-made and well-written but flawed

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 29 January 2006]

This was a beautifully made film, with excellent acting, direction and writing. It was a real visual treat. However, despite this the movie had a fatal flaw that prevented it from achieving greatness.

The heroine in the movie (Tita) is someone you really care about and your heart breaks when her selfish mother refuses to allow her to marry Pedro BUT agrees to let this man marry her older sister, Rosaura. It seems there is a stupid and self-serving family tradition where the youngest girl CANNOT marry until mom dies, as it's her duty to care for mom like a slave! And, Tita reluctantly agrees but is heart-broken.

However, at the wedding feast that Tita was forced to prepare for everyone (wow--what a terrible injustice), apparently Tita's emotions magically transform the food to reflect her own joy or sorrow. This happens several times throughout the movie. In this case, her tears that fall into the cake batter apparently make the cake taste delicious BUT also makes you dreadfully ill! Later, when Tita appears to be feeling rather "frisky", and makes a meal with rose petals, the meal become a super aphrodisiac and literally makes flames come off her other sister's body!! The shower she is is catches fire and she runs naked across the fields until a passing bandit grabs her and she isn't seen again for several years! During all this time, Pedro and his wife live with the family. There are a lot of glances and longing expressions, but nothing occurs between them. However, here comes injustice #2. When Rosaura gives birth, she is unable to produce milk, so the baby is nursed by Tita! Later, when Mama thinks there COULD be something going on between Tita and Pedro, Pedro and Rosaura are sent away and the baby soon dies.

Soon afterward, Tita experiences SEVERE depression and Mama calls her crazy and sends her off to get treatment. It is amazing to see that Tita is blamed for this and so real love or concern motivates Mama--she just wants her slave to get better. But, while away from home, Tita slowly returns to normal and finally admits that Mama is an evil person--so a great burden is lifted from her. In addition, soon after this Mama is murdered, thus apparently freeing Tita.

HOWEVER, the ghost of Mama haunts her because Tita finally gives in and has sex with Pedro--even though he and his wife just had another baby. And, this is a major conflict and felt so very very unsatisfying to me. Will she try to take the weak Perdo from her ungrateful sister or will she marry the decent doctor who has fallen for her? Well, inexplicably, she chooses neither course--but stays with Perdo and Rosaura to help raise their child. Then, after Rosaura dies, she sleeps with Pedro for the second time and apparently the sex is so wonderful and perfect that it kills him. So, Tita kills herself and the film ends.

The depressing ending and Tita's inexplicable devotion to the very weak and annoying Pedro were major strikes against the movie. You really like and respect Tita through most of the film. Even when she finally gives in and sleeps with him the first time, she is repentant and seems ready to marry the much better man (the doctor). BUT, in a nod to love self-esteem and stupidity, she remains with him and Rosaura like a martyr. This helped destroy much of the respect I had originally found in her character. Plus, I just found Pedro whiny and weak--why would any woman wait that long for such a wuss?

A Fabulous Fable

[Jim B-2 · 10/10 · 16 August 1999]

Scenes of incredible beauty and humor. This film appeals to all of humankind's tastes (visual, intellectual, gustatory, sexual, etc.) It is one of the greatest romantic comedies showing the lives, values and beliefs of another culture ever presented as a gift to the American public. Be aware though that it is not an experience that will appeal to everyone. You won't enjoy it if you don't love food, have an imagination and understand that daytime soaps are not art.

Love story you've probably seen before

[christian94 · 6/10 · 16 December 2007]

Alfonso Arau directs the adaptation to his wife's acclaimed novel. Not having read Laura Esquivel's original work, I cannot attest to the level of literature that it may have reached. However, as for the movie, I found it lacking true lyricism and unable to visually represent the 'Magical Realism' elements coherently. The familial clutch of tradition and the ensuing prohibited love are interesting as well as Lumi Cavazos' lead performance. Yet, the strong romance element felt quick and ungrounded. The tension between the sisters were not explored to their potential and the movie went along without truly captivating. Some people seemed to have enjoyed this movie quite a bit, yet as much as I am happy that I saw it, I would probably not want to see it again or recommend it to a friend. The person who recommended to me had also recommended "Il Postino (1994)" which I saw first and I loved. I thus turn you to this much better novel adaptation of the 1990s instead.

Magic meals and flaming passions

[EThompsonUMD · 8/10 · 8 February 2009]

One of the most favorably reviewed and box-office successful foreign language films ever distributed in the United States, "Like Water for Chocolate" was the collaborative product of Mexican actor/director Alfonso Arau ("El Guapo" to fans of "Three Amigos") and his wife, Laura Esquivel, author of both the film's screenplay and the novel it was adapted from. Like the novel, the film's narrative materials show the heavy influence of "magic realism," a Latin American style of storytelling first popularized in North America and Europe in the late 1960s through the translation of the novels of Nobel laureate, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, especially his masterpiece, "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

As with other works of magic realism, "Like Water for Chocolate" blends elements of realism, dream, and myth to create a world whose surface is mundane but where the fantastic emerges regularly and matter-of-factly. Much of the magic in "Like Water for Chocolate" is linked to cooking, an ordinary feminine domestic activity that becomes a powerful, preternatural vehicle for unleashing the heroine Tita's creativity and passion, both of which are repressed by the machismo culture and absurd female-binding traditions of early twentieth century Mexico.

Befitting the story's origins in the romance genre, passion is at the center of "Like Water for Chocolate." Indeed, the Spanish phrase "como agua para chocolate" is purportedly a familiar Mexican expression describing a person who is about to boil over with sexual desire. (The American expression "hornier than a hoot owl" is a non-culinary - and rather less romantic - equivalent metaphor.) Passion - its expression, repression, or absence - shapes not only Tita's life and marriage, but also the characterizations of the intimidating Mama Elena and of Tita's sisters, Rosaura and Gertrudis, contrasting foils in the matter of female sexuality. Rosaura is bound by paternalistic traditions of restraint and denial while Gertrudis becomes literally inflamed by sexual desire along with adapting a pre-feminist political assertiveness and egalitarianism.

Supporting the unfolding of this Mexican Cinderella tale, the cinematography of "Like Water for Chocolate" exhibits great range and beauty, by turns subtle and breathtaking. The film's lighting styles and color palette are equally effective either in establishing the fable-like mood of the stark Coahuila Desert or in detailing the more realistic ranch house where many of the interior scenes are set.

Topping all, of course, are the set pieces of Tita's sumptuous meals, endless quilt, and fiery bed, unforgettable images through which her sexual being is triumphantly expressed.

Food and love and sex and fate

[lib-4 · 6/10 · 16 April 1999]

This movie stayed so true to the book that the director/write should be applauded. It's hard for non-hispanics to understand all the magic and ritual in Hispanic culture. The film is graphically pleasing and sensual. and the end is one of the best ever.... we are consumed in many way- our appetites for food and sex-- and this movie addresses them well.

Gorgeous cinematic experience that defies categorization

[saska-3 · 10/10 · 26 June 2003]

Perhaps it is fortunate that I saw "Como agua para chocolat" before I read the novel on which it was based; too often I hear criticism of the film not living up to the book, and feel badly for the viewers who were so busy comparing the two in their minds that they were unable to enjoy what was, for me, one of the best cinematic experiences of my life.

I learned from "Como agua para chocolat" that American movies are constrained by their existence in a single genre. This film is a drama, an achingly tragic romance, a lighthearted comedy, and a fairy tale. It gives equal screen time to each element, without gravity during the "realistic" scenes nor too much levity during the "fantasy" sequences. It tells the story of Tita, the youngest daughter of a wealthy landowning Mexican family, whose fate according to tradition is to care for her mother and live a spinster's life. It is Tita's misfortune to fall in love with - and be loved by - a man she cannot have; he chooses to marry her eldest sister in order to be able to remain in the house with her. The film follows Tita through this pain, her mental breakdown, her return to sanity and her displaced love for her American doctor, who she later marries. It threatens to climax with a happy ending we know we don't deserve, and even when it turns dark, we're left with a sense all the main characters got exactly what they wanted in the end. In an American movie, these actions would either have consequences (and therefore be a drama), or they'd be farcical (and it would be a romantic comedy). Alfonso Arau gives us a history lesson, told with Laura Esquivel's wry wit and deep emotion.

The cinematography and direction are also outstanding; sweeping Mexican landscapes ground the film in both time and place while reverence is paid to the traditions that form the basis of the story. An achingly beautiful sequence details the dressing of the marriage bed for Tita's sister and her new husband. Later, Tita's madness is gently revealed when she is shown staying awake nights knitting a blanket, and is later carted away to a sanitarium wrapped in that same blanket, which trails behind her horse-drawn carriage well beyond the edge of the frame.

Some of the cinematography is lost when reading the subtitles with the film, but I strongly recommend watching this DVD with English subtitles (rather than the English dub) if you do not speak Spanish. There is a richness of delivery in the Spanish dialogue that does not translate in the dub.

I read Laura Equivel's novel several years after I first saw this film, and cooking plays a much greater part in the novel than the film. However, I believe the film wisely centers on the human emotion of its human protagonists, and I am glad the adaptation was in the original author's hands. She knew what she was up to all along.

Like Water for Chocolate-Delicious!

[bethanyc311 · 7/10 · 28 February 2011]

Like Water For Chocolate is a film creatively filled with many symbols which convey the theme of the passionate and powerful story originally told in novel form by Laura Esquivel. The basis of the story surrounds food. The food in the movie, however, is not only food as we know it. It is a representation of hard work, the sense of feminism, duties, roles, comfort, and passion. The food made by the youngest daughter and main character, Tita, passes on her feelings to the people who eat it. Her tears flowed into a meal leaving the people who consumed it upset and ill. Her lust poured into another meal leaving the people who consumed it more lustfully passionate than ever. The director seems to use the only close up shots while the characters are eating in order to portray the effect of which this food has. Another main theme throughout the film is fire. This represents Tita's strong desire to be with Pedro. It also represents the life within people.

The characters in the film seem to be depicted certain ways considering where they live. For example, Dr. Brown seems to be a man lacking a backbone and a man willing to let people take advantage of him. He is North American. Pedro, a true Mexican man, is strong willed and willing to do what it takes to get what he wants. He plays a much a more masculine role.

Now that I am somewhat familiar with how Mexican cinema has been previously and how the stories have been depicted, I am well aware that Like Water for Chocolate put a whole new spin on it. The majority of the film takes place indoors with very dim lighting. The main characters are women. Most of the women have strong personalities whether they are comforting like Nacha, rebellious like Tita, authoritarian like Mama Elena, free-spirited like Gertrudis, or somewhat boring like Rosaura. Most of the more modern films in Mexico have been staged mostly outdoors, are very bright, and are centered around men and their masculinity.

While poorly dubbed in English and barely visually recognizable at times (because of the lack of lighting), the film featured charming actresses and talented directing.

The film, though simple to comprehend and easy to enjoy, has a lot under the surface. From the directing of the film to the many important symbols, there is much upon which to dwell and much to appreciate. This is a film that is dramatic, rebellious, humorous, and filled with the joys (and possibly dangers) of reckless love.

Love and cooking, a special combination

[dancingmike · 9/10 · 31 May 2007]

Not too much I can add to the great reviews above. The cooking scenes were very close to erotic for me and, apparently the rest of the audience I saw it with. As the film moved along there were more and more audible "yums" and other noises associated with a good meal.

At the end of the film there was a near stampede out of the theater and to the local restaurants. People were running to get there first! My friend and I quickly walked another block for our food. The place filled up rapidly. The host told us he hoped "that film stays there forever, it's almost doubled our business". How often have you been so moved by a film that you sprung into action the minute it was over? That alone puts it in my movie hall of fame.

Nice imagery, but slightly disappointing

[Melt1997 · 6/10 · 15 November 2004]

I had heard a lot of good things about this movie, but after watch 3/4s of it (because I could not bear to finish it), I was disappointed. The scripting and acting was rather elementary. The characters were very cliché and flat. It was too easy to distinguish good vs. bad.

But I did like the fairy-tale-ness. The colors were rich and the archetypes easy to follow. The recipes and magic enriched fantasy. Though, it then should have better been depicted as a children's story rather than a semi-erotic "artsy" film.

It also played on the culture of the historical North Mexican upper-class. But it was nothing close to the significance that "The Motorcycle Diaries", or "Y Tu Mama Tambien" does it. Instead, it is merely just a setting that could easily be altered.

Hollywood ad nauseum

[mainstay · 2/10 · 16 July 2000]

I saw this film dubbed in English. Fortunately, the theatre staff lowered the admission to compensate for this crime against humanity. In this case, the dubbing made it impossible to take the film seriously. But even if we ignore the horrible voice acting and lip synching problems (which were vaguely reminiscent of the old Godzilla movies I used to see at YMCA daycare when I was little), this movie is still sappy. So maudlin and overdone, in fact, that I would disagree with all the comments praising "Like Water for Chocolate" to be a refreshing change from Hollywood. It seemed like the director compressed the 10 soapiest films Hollywood has ever spawned (including a twisted version of Romeo and Juliet, surprise surprise) into the longest 116 minutes I've ever experienced. (1) Vaguely sentimental, shapeless music with no definite theme pervades the entire film, even in funeral scenes, which (2) there are a lot of. The director randomly kills off characters attempting to get our sympathy. It backfires. I was more or less laughing (when I wasn't half asleep) throughout the entire movie. (3) Soapy plot disguised as a 'true love' movie. Just one example: Pedro professes his undying love for Tita and wish to marry approximately 10 minutes after having met her. This happens multiple times with different characters). While this may be forgivable, a contradiction in the plot ruins the whole love aspect. Namely, the director fails to convey exactly why Tita prefers Pedro (the stupid horny moron) over the (obviously more sympathetic) Dr. Brown. This completely screws over his story and makes a mockery of all the emotion in the film, especially when the director essentially forces this Romeo and Juliet-esq love onto the characters. (4) Which are quite one dimensional characters. We have the evil bad hypocritical tyrannical mother, the irrepressibly fun loving servant, the Casanova letch, the calm friendly doctor... all of which are presented with all of and only these character traits (The evil mother never is shown humanely, the good doctor is without blemishes, etc. etc. &c.) How can this movie be a refreshing change from Hollywood when it has all these elements? This emperor has no clothes.