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Mexican director Alfonso Arau hit upon a recipe for success when he whipped up this tasty mixture of magical realism and spicy romanticism. An art house favorite based on a novel by Arau's then-wife Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate traces the unusual aftermath of a love affair thwarted by an old Mexican custom. Because she is the youngest daughter in her family, Tita (Lumi Cavazos) must renounce her beloved and remain forever single, in order to devote herself solely to her mother's care. But Tita's repressed passion comes out in her cooking, and all who partake of her luscious dishes find themselves deeply and erotically affected. The film's atmospheric photography (by Steven Bernstein and Emmanuel Lubezki) evokes a world gloriously transformed by the power of food and desire. Clever and enchanting Like Water for Chocolate is a delicious fairytale that owes as much to Federico Garcia Lorca as it does to Romeo and Juliet. Karen Backstein

All Movie Guide

Based on the best-selling novel by Laura Esquival, this internationally popular romantic fable from Mexico centers on a young woman who discovers that her cooking has magical effects. The tale's heroine, Tita, is the youngest of three daughters in a traditional Mexican family. Bound by tradition to remain unmarried while caring for her aging mother, Tita nevertheless falls in love with a handsome young man named Pedro. Pedro returns her affection, but he cannot overcome her family's disapproval, and he instead marries Tita's elder sister. The lovestruck young woman is brutally disappointed, and her sadness has such force that it infects her cooking: all who eat it her feel her heartbreak with the same intensity. This newly discovered power continues to manifest itself after the wedding, as Tita and Pedro, overcome by their denied love, embark on a secret affair. Director Alfonso Arau, Esquival's husband at the time, presents the acts of love and cooking with the same glossy, sensual sheen. Indeed, despite occasional digressions into a magical realist tone, the film often takes on the gloss of Hollywood romance. This combination of traditional melodrama and exotic fairy tale proved extremely popular with audiences, particularly in the United States, where it became one of the highest grossing foreign language films at the time. Judd Blaise

Product Details

• UPC: 717951002730
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, stereo
• Language: Español, English
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:45:00
• Sales Rank: 2,609

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