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Reviews
Entre nos (2009)
Raw and Real
Entre Nos is an inspiring film about a family who's bound together by love and strength. The film stars Paola Mendoza, the real life main character, Mariana's, granddaughter, who also co-wrote and co-directed the film. The film has been screened at over 14 film festivals and has won several awards. The film is about Mariana. Her husband leaves her to fend and provide for her two young children in the city. By doing small illegal immigrant work, such as sewing and dishwashing, selling empanadas, and collecting cans to trade in for cash, slowly Mariana tries to save her family and rebuild themselves a home in the United States. The theme though out the film seems to be the value of family. Mariana's strong, loving bond with her children, Gabi and Andrea, keep this family together while going through devastating circumstances. This film contains very little dialogue and is told through beautiful filmography and very strong emotions. Language barriers are no issue in this film, however. No matter what language you speak, emotions speak louder. The music is hopeful and reminds the audience of this family's strength and the hope they have burning in their hearts. This film is not for the faint of heart. This family goes through very difficult times. What I most admire about Mariana and her children is that they go through these with dignity and morality. They are kind people who put each other above themselves. Mariana is a loving mother who will do anything to protect her children. One scene in particular demonstrates this beautifully. An image of Mariana is shown sitting on a park bench on a cold night with Gabi and Andrea lying on her lap asleep. This is symbolic to Michelangelo's La Pieta, an image of the Virgin Mary holding Christ in her arms after the crucifixion. This is a beautiful image showing Mariana's strength protecting her children, watching over them in her arms, while looking toward the heaven praying for the strength to continue protecting them. Entre Nos is a beautiful film full of strength. The acting is mainly expressed through emotions, very well I may add. It is similar to The Pursuit of Happiness except more raw and real. This story is very powerful and full of emotion. I would highly recommend Entre Nos.
Como agua para chocolate (1992)
Food for thought
Originally titled Como Agua Para Chocolate, the novel Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel was very well translated from paper to picture in this Mexican film. The film is created with one part passion, a scoop of tradition, a pinch of love and a lot of food.
I would highly recommend reading the novel before viewing the film as at times I could see how it could be a little bit confusing. Upon the film's release, it was the highest grossing Spanish language film to be released in the United States. The film is very different from the typical Mexican film, which is funny as one of the themes for the film is tradition.
The film celebrates Mexican culture though food, music and history. This was perhaps the most real thing about the film. The acting is hard to grasp. It is border line cheesy and was at times difficult to focus on. The film is so full of passionate lust and "star struck" lovers that it appears to be a bit cliché now a days. This is how the novel was written, however. Esquivel explored the heat between two forbidden lovers, almost like a Spanish Romeo and Juliet. The story follows Tita and the man she loves, Pedro, as she expresses her emotions through her cooking, literally, for she has no other means of expression.
The novel is full of magical realism through Tita's cooking and although the film was true to the novel, the convincing elements of magical realism as written by Esquivel were much harder to swallow when being viewed in the film. The film, like the novel, is rich with symbolism. The most obvious and interesting would be the title, Like Water for Chocolate, which refers to the boiling temperature water must reach in order to liquefy chocolate. The title is perfect for the burning passion experienced by Tita and the sexual desires felt by not only her and Pedro, but others in the family as well. Gertrudis, Tita's middle sister, experiences sexual desire after consuming a meal Tita had made, quail with rose petal sauce. This is just one effect of Tita's impassioned food.
If you have not read the novel, the film will likely not appeal to you. The acting is not exactly top notch, and the beautiful images expressed though the novel are not nearly translated as well on screen. I began to view the film dubbed in English. I would not recommend this. View the version with the English subtitles, it looks much better and the language sounds beautiful. If you are one who always expects a happy ending, this film may not be for you. I was pleased with the way this film ended, as it did in the novel, realistically. The film is very true to the text and therefore I would recommend for one who has read and enjoyed the novel.