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Based on the famous Mexican novel, this film tries to capture the traditions of magical realism on film. Told by a narrator as a family legend, the story follows the love tale of Tita (Lumi Cavazos, BOTTLE ROCKET) and Pedro (Marco Leonardi, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO). Pedro wants to marry Tita, but her mother Elena (Regina Torne, TV’s RIVALES POR ACCIDENTE) won’t let her because she is the youngest, and tradition states that she must take care of her mother until her mother dies. So as a way to stay close to Tita, Pedro agrees to marry Tita’s oldest sister Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi, A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN).
At first, I hated the heated soap opera material this film presented. It was melodrama to the nth degree. However, once the magical realism kicked in, I found myself drawn in and captivated by the grand tale and the originality of the metaphors. I will always remember Tita’s quilt, her rose petal quail dinner, the cake she makes for her sister’s wedding and the story of the matches. These are the details that bring life to the melodrama.
However, I never got a real sense of why Tita and Pedro were in love or that they were really in love at all. The grandness of the magical moments tells a great tale, but it lacks true emotion at times. Whimsy and romance go wonderfully together. Love is like drunkenness at times, but grand gestures don’t always make the emotions seem real. Perfect examples of whimsical romances that also sell the emotions are AMELIE and SEX AND LUCIA. This issue moves this potentially great film into the realm of a good film. I still recommend the film, because its fun and imaginative, but as a Mexican-American co-worker of mine tells me -- the book’s better.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
