swirling

Saturday was movie day. I watched two films I have meant to see in a long time. First, I watched Like Water for Chocolate. (Sadly funny related story: I checked these out from the little local library down the street. The lady checking it out, said, “Oh, I am so sorry, I can’t find this in anything but Spanish.” I said, “That’s because it was made with Spanish as the language.” She looked up in awe, “Why would someone watch a movie in Spanish?” Need I go on?)

Then, I watched Thirteen.

If you haven’t seen either film, there couldn’t be more of a contrast. Like Water deals with familial traditions and the passion of love, complete with the magical realism that abounds in Mexican storytelling. Whereas, Thirteen is a morbidly realistic pop culture film completely 21st century, including all the sex, drugs and teen popularity issues you could want.

A friend asked me afterwards which I liked the most. I couldn’t give her an answer. How could I compare them? I enjoy a movie that leaves me thinking, so in the end, I just decided that it was the mix of the two that I enjoyed. And here is the irony I am still considering–Like Water for Chocolate was the amorous tale of passion and true love, and yet even with the magic available, it was extremely sad, especially the moments of passion. Thirteen was the gritty, jaw-dropping tale of losing situations, addictions, remorse, betrayal, manipulation and abadonment; however, I haven’t felt more hopeful at the end of a movie in a long time. Both films stepped out of their stereotype. It was a great balance.

Like Water for Chocolate–Amazon 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

Thirteen–Amazon Review
A gut-wrenching portrait of adolescence, Thirteen is made all the more powerful because it was co-written by a genuine teenage girl, Nikki Reed, who also co-stars in the movie. Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood), a serious good student, finds herself needing to express her anger and resentment at her fractured family life. To rebel, she pursues a friendship with the reckless, alluring Evie (Reed), who seems to have all the cocksure freedom that Tracy desires. What follows is both harrowing and compelling: Tracy becomes enmeshed in a relationship with Evie that empowers Tracy and drags her deeper into the misery she wants to escape–and terrifies her mother (Holly Hunter), who struggles desperately to hold on to her daughter’s love. Thirteen makes every step on this path utterly convincing, due to the vivid script, energized direction, and astonishingly alive performances from Hunter, Reed, and especially Wood. Jolting, sad, and mesmerizing. –Bret Fetzer