Review of Like Water for Chocolate (1992) by Gavin S — 13 Sep 2007

Essentially a modern fairy tale, complete with acts of magic and the supernatural seeming to be perfectly natural. In early 20th Century Mexico, Tita is told by her mother that she can never marry because she is meant to take care of her mother until she dies as part of a family tradition.

Unfortunately, Pedro falls in love with her and when he discovers he cannot marry her, he decides to wed her older sister instead so that he can remain close to Tita. The overwhelming emotions Tita is feeling causes her to discover that she can literally put that emotion into her food, causing whatever she cooks to have a magical effect on those that eat it.

The film is quite faithful to the book, particularly in its highly sensual nature. The film does not shy away from sex and nudity, nor should it--this is a traditional fairy tale and meant for grown ups.

It doesn't fall into the same trap of becoming a Cliff Notes version of the novel in the way Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights did, but there are a few times it comes close. The film does exscise my favorite scene from the book, the chicken tornado, but that was probably due to budget limitations.

The film isn't perfect, but it is very enjoyable. If you are looking for a romantic film to watch with your partner, you could certainly do worse.