- Jubilee offer: spend £10 or more on any product sold by Amazon.co.uk on or before June 6 and you can buy The Diamond Jubilee A Classical Celebration Album for just £2.50 Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
Expect to be very hungry (and perhaps amorous) after watching this contemporary classic in the small genre of food movies that includes Babette's Feast and Big Night. Director Alfonso Arau (A Walk in the Clouds), adapting a novel by his former wife, Laura Esquivel, tells the story of a young woman (Lumi Cavazos) who learns to suppress her passions under the eye of a stern mother, but channels them into her cooking. The result is a steady stream of cuisine so delicious as to be an almost erotic experience for those lucky enough to have a bite. The film's quotient of magic realism feels a little stock, but the story line is good and Arau's affinity for the sensuality of food (and of nature) is sublime. You might want to rush off to a good Mexican restaurant afterward, but that's a good thing. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
DVD Description
Spanish language with english subtitles. Based on the novel by Laura Esquivel.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This film is a feast for the eyes. Based upon the best selling novela of the same name by Laura Esquivel, who also wrote the screenplay, the film successfully captures this tale of forbidden love. Well directed by Laura Esquivel's husband, Alfonso Arau (The Magnificent Ambersons, A Walk In the Clouds), the cast delivers wonderful performances in this mystical tale.
During the early twentieth century in Mexico, just south of the border, a girl catches the eye of boy. A number of years later, the boy, Pedro, now a young man, speaks to the girl, Tita, now a young woman, and declares his heartfelt, passionate love for her. Pedro (Marco Leonardi) wants Tita (Lumi Cavazos) to marry him.
He and his father meet with Tita's mother, Elena (Regina Torne), and ask if she would give her consent to a union between Pedro and Tita, Elena's youngest daughter. Elena forbids such a marriage to take place, as it is an unbroken family tradition that the youngest daughter remain single, so that she may take care of her mother until the mother dies. Such is the destiny of Tita. Elena, instead, cruelly offers to have her oldest daughter, Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi), marry Pedro.
Surprisingly, Pedro agrees to marry Rosauro, his twisted logic being that this is the only way he can be close to Tita. Thus, begins an untenable situation. Tita, forced by her selfish, harridan of a mother to prepare the wedding feast for Rosaura and Pedro, begins a lifelong sublimation of her passion and emotions with food. Its mystical properties become self evident in the expert hands of Tita, as she becomes a superlative cook. She has the ability to imbue the food that she prepares with the fervor and feelings, both good and bad, that she dare not express. Her love, her pain, her passion is evident in every delightful and delicious dish that she creates, and her feelings manifest themselves in those who ingest her meals.
This is a glorious film about love, filled with mystical, magical, and supernatural portents. Sensual and evocative, it details the road that Tita and Pedro must travel before their journey is complete. Wonderfully acted and beautifully told, theirs is a story that will long linger in the mind of the viewer. Awash in amber tones, the brilliant cinematography contributes to the mystical properties of this film. Sumptuous and surreal, it is a feast for the eyes and not to be missed. Bravo!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have to say that "Like Water for Chocolate" is one of my most favourite books of all time. But after watching the film version, I have to say that if I had watched the film first, then I probably wouldn't have read the book. Its really sad because the film really doesn't do the story justice. There's so much more to the story than is shown in the film, and a lot of it is a bit difficult to understand, especially if you haven't read the book beforehand. I'd definitely recommend reading the book instead, or at least reading it before watching the film.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This film is ultimately based on a very old Mexican tradition, whereby the youngest daughter of the family is fated to be a spinster in order to look after her mother. This is a very forlorn film but nevertheless, excellent. Food also plays a major part in this film. It is a beautifully made film and I recommend those who can read Spanish to read this novel by Laura Esquivel.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
magical foodie realism
What a lovely film this is! Full of food and love and yearning, unfolding over the years. The way to this man's heart was TRULY through his stomach, and Like Water For Chocolate... Read more
Published 6 months ago by P. G. Pirrie-weir
A little disappointing
This was not a bad film, but having seen that it had won awards and read the book, I was a little disappointed; it didn't have the impact of the book. Read more
Published 7 months ago by S. Parker
The really poor dvd visual quality makes me question the validity of...
A really poor dvd,the visual quality makes me question the validity of this product, it ruined the film for me. Read more
Published 10 months ago by S. kearns
Review Like Water for Chocolate
I have seen the movie 2 times and thought it was worthwhile.
A much better movie then Eat, Love, Pray. Read more
A much better movie then Eat, Love, Pray. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Rozetruitje
A very good film, a bad DVD
Warm, funny, bittersweet, moving fable about three sisters, their horrific mother; and their
lives and loves in early 20th century Mexico. Read more
lives and loves in early 20th century Mexico. Read more
Published 14 months ago by K. Gordon
review video
The DVD arrived fast. I have not yet watched it, so I cannot comment on the quality yet, therefore I can only give 3 stars
Published 15 months ago by Renske
Incredibly touching
Had just finished reading the book, and the film is a great rendition of the story. Spanish is easy to understand despite Mexican twist (and subtitles obviously help). Great film!
Published 18 months ago by S. Carpenter
Reasonably good film spoiled by scenes of animal slaughter
I do not see the need to show scenes of animal slaughter in films (i.e. the quails). Everyone knows where meat comes from right? So why glorify this despicible act. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Euphemia Anderson
A Mexican classic.
Adapted from Laura Esquivel's stunning novel of the same name the film stays very true to the book and works very well. Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Mr. A. J. Mann
Perfection
I first saw this at my local cinema some years back and it went down so well it was brought back again. I bought it on Video and have now purchased the DVD. Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2009 by Mr. D. R. Hamilton
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
