LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE
(1993)
Notes: Miramax. 105 minutes.
Tita: Lumi Cavazos
Mama Elena: Regina Torne
Pedro: Marco Leonardi
Rosura: Yareli Arizmendi
With Mario Ivan Martinez
Director: Alfonso Arau
Producer: Alfonso Arau
Screenplay: Laura Esquivel
Music: Leo Brower
Language: Spanish with English Subtitles
Summary: The story revolves around the illegitimate childTita, the youngest of three sisters who because of family traditionmust stay unmarried so that she may care for her mother. She iscontent with this role until she meets the love of her life, Pedro.They both fall in love the minute they lay eyes on one another.Pedro asks Tita’s mother for permission to marry her youngestdaughter, however Elena refuses his request and instead offersPedro permission to marry Rosura. In order to be close to Titahe accepts Rosura’s hand in marriage and moves onto Mama Elena’sestate. Pedro’s constant flirtations with Tita do not go unnoticedmy Mama Elena and she is always trying to keep them separated.Tita, unable to express her true feeling for Pedro releases heremotions into her food. This leads to some interesting meals forthe diners.
Commentary: There are seldom moments in this film whenthere is neither a kitchen nor food in view. Tita’s true homeis in the kitchen. She is at work throughout this film preparingmeals. The funniest moments of this film are when the diners getto experience Tita’s emotions when they eat her cooking. As everyonestarts to eat the meal at Rosura’s wedding they all begin to cryand mourn for lost loves. At another meal that Tita has preparedwhile feeling quite passionate, one of her sisters is so affectedthat she runs off with a revolutionary. Another interesting foodmoment is when Tita is preparing quail; unplucked quail lie nextto plucked and cleaned quail. However, the plucked and cleanedquail are twice as large as their feathered friends and bear aremarkable resemblance to large Cornish game hens. The food inthis film is often simple but occasionally as elaborate as thedishes seen in films such as A Chef in Love.