Alfonso Arau directs the adaptation to his wife's acclaimed novel. Not having read Laura Esquivel's original work, I cannot attest to the level of literature that it may have reached. However, as for the movie, I found it lacking true lyricism and unable to visually represent the 'Magical Realism' elements coherently. The familial clutch of tradition and the ensuing prohibited love are interesting as well as Lumi Cavazos' lead performance. Yet, the strong romance element felt quick and ungrounded. The tension between the sisters were not explored to their potential and the movie went along without truly captivating. Some people seemed to have enjoyed this movie quite a bit, yet as much as I am happy that I saw it, I would probably not want to see it again or recommend it to a friend. The person who recommended to me had also recommended "Il Postino (1994)" which I saw first and I loved. I thus turn you to this much better novel adaptation of the 1990s instead.
Review of Like Water for Chocolate
