Rating: 
Summary: A fair romantic comedy that never makes it past mediocrity
Review: Why is it that food, any food, can look so much better on the big screen? And why is it that films where one of the major supporting roles lives in a pot or a pan can'tquite get a hold of reality? Take two recent films: Lasse Hallestrom's Chocolat and Maria Ripoll's Tortilla Soup. While these two films vary greatly in subject matter, they have one thing in common: those scrumptious performances by delectable dishes. Each one used them to make the whole more lively, as metaphors or just to excite the audience's taste buds. Chocolat was a fantasy of sorts so it was allowed to get away with it. Tortilla Soup is a spicy yet often-stale film that at times seems more like a cooking show than a family comedy. Carmen (Jacqueline Obradors), Leticia (Elizabeth Pena) and Maribel (Tamara Mello) are three sisters living with their father Martin Naranjo (Hector Elizondo). Tradition is stunting the sister's growth, keeping them all in while what they really want to do is move out and become their own. Hector, however, is having his own problems. He is an excellent chef, praised by his friends to be one of the best in the world, yet his taste is failing him. Sitting on Tortilla Soup's shoulders are an angel and a devil. The angel is telling the film to go ahead and be whatever it needs to be. The angel starts off the film, giving us a cast of characters that will engage us and make us wonder just where the film is going to go. The angel also gives us some well-earned, honest laughs. Almost every little "confession" at the dinner table brings about a bittersweet chuckle. Hector Elizondo is a perfect fatherly figure for the three girls who are only just starting to branch off into the world. It is he who keeps the film rolling, who keeps it tight keeps it on course as long as he can. However, the devil on the other shoulder is tricky. This devil is clinging to formula. He does not want to see his precious little film escape from his clutches, so he makes sure that it will stay in la-la-land and never really get off of the ground. All in all, Tortilla Soup is fair romantic/family content that can never overcome it's own self-importance. It entertains for a while, then bids the world adieu as it spins off into a fantasy land that the filmmakers think everybody loves. Its hot-headed screenplay got to me. Watch Tortilla Soup for some lighthearted entertainment, but watch out if you can't stand being cheated for a happy ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Charming Movie
Review: This is an excellent film for all people to enjoy. It would be a good "date" movie or would also be good with the family. Hector Elizondo is excellent as a master chef trying to raise three daughters after losing his wife. This movie will make you laugh and remind you a lot of things that you experienced with your own family.
Rating:
Summary: Cute
Review: 3 Mexican-American sisters, all with very different personalities who live with their father who is the head chef at a restaurant. You pretty much know what is going to happen through the movie, but it was still enjoyable. Very much a "chick-flick". The movie pretty much just made my boyfriend hungry:)
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful movie!
Review: Hector Elizondo plays the part of a chef and father of three daughters. The daughters are all declaring their independence
in different ways and that is difficult for their all-too-traditional father. The relationship between the girls and their father is well-portrayed as a cross between love for the family and desire to lead their own lives. There are lots of scenes where delicious food is being prepared and they are a delight to the eyes of the viewer. A little spice is thrown into the mix when Racqel Welch appears as the mother of a family friend who has her eye squarely on Hector. Predictably, the daughters are not too pleased about the situation. This is a light-hearted comedy set around a close Mexican family and it makes for a most enjoyable evening.
Rating:
Summary: Tortilla Soup
Review: The actors in this movie were absolutely brilliant. It captured the real story of many Latin Americans. As a "latina women", I could relate to the customs seen in the movie. I was touched by the bond demonstrated between a father and his daughters.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but could have been better
Review: Eat Drink Man Woman is one of my favorite films and I looked forward to watching this Americanized remake of it with great anticipation. However, despite a strong cast and a lot of potential, this film simply doesn't live up to Ang Lee's excellent work. I doubt that it will have the appeal with foreign audiences that EDMW was able to garner (here in the US) by transcending the cultural framwork in which it was based.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was very disappointed in this movie, perhaps partially but definitely not soley because I had already seen Eat Drink Man Woman. Eat Drink Man Woman is funny, subtle, charming, well-acted, well cast, and unpredictable. Tortilla Soup is none of those things. The dialogue and the acting are particularly bad here, with the exception of Hector Elizondo (and Raquel Welch is not bad in an unchallenging role). I usually don't mind Elizabeth Pena, but I thought she was horribly cast here and did an abysmal job. The actresses who played the other two sisters also leave much to be desired. The scenes where they are fighting with their current and ex-boyfriends are so bad they made me cringe. Ditto the plate-breaking scene. How sad - this could have been a great re-working of an excellent screenplay. The only redeeming quality about this movie is the food. The rest of it resembles a bad high school drama production.
Rating: 
Summary: OK for a rip-off
Review: Go see "Eat Drink Man Woman" for a better version of the story. But it's kind of like dancing to a tacky cover-band at a wedding and enjoying it. No masterpiece, but no harm done. It made me hungry, though.
Rating:
Summary: I'm hungry
Review: The *only* reason why I won't give this movie 5 stars is because I've seen Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (the movie on which this one is based) - and the plot is the same. But the food. Oh the food. As I suspected, the movie made my born-in-East-LA husband a little homesick. I hope they come out with a cook book - I would love to try some of those recipes in real life. Maybe it would ease my hubby's hankerings for his family's cooking.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! Great Movie!
Review: I'll admit, despite my love for sexy Hispanic/Latina women, I probably would have never gone to see this if a friend hadn't asked me to go. I am so glad I did. This was a fantastic movie but be warned, if you haven't eaten before you go, you will be STARVING afterward! This story/movie had me walking away evaluating my own family situation and realizing just how short life really is...If you're even remotely interested, go see it! You won't be disappointed!
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