Video/DVD Review: Like Water for Chocolate
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this is a mature and sensual
movie. While not sexually explicit, sexual desire and threats
of infidelity drive the entire film. It also includes a rather
abusive (both physically and emotionally) mother/daughter
relationship.
Families can talk about issues such as family duty,
generational conflict, gender equality, and cultural
traditions. Parents may also want to discuss how this film's
use of magical realism differs from more traditional American
writing and filmmaking.
The youngest of three daughters in a Mexican family, Tita, is doomed by tradition to remain a virgin and forever care for her mother. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE depicts the emotional struggle suffered by Tita following her loss of and longing for Pedro, and her attempts to escape the controlling fists of her mother. The film works through a series of highly charged relationships utilizing uncommon visual elegance and a sense of mysticism that visually depicts the Mexican literary tradition of magical realism.
This movie was filmbed mostly in Spanish with English subtitles. Based on the first novel by screenwriter Laura Esquivel, it presents a visually stunning tale of repressed passion, lost love, and the magical powers of food.
Like Water for Chocolate swept the Ariel Awards (Mexico's equivalent to the American Oscars), garnering awards for best picture, acting, direction, screenplay, cinematography, set design, and production design. From story to execution, it exudes quality.
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