Thirty-two years after the critically acclaimed film, HBO has adapted Laura Esquivel’s best-selling 1989 novel, “Like Water for Chocolate,” for television. Set in the early 20th century in Mexico, the six-episode Spanish-language series (critics received two for review) follows Tita (Azul Guaita), the youngest De La Garza daughter and her forbidden romance with her childhood sweetheart, Pedro Múzquiz (Andrés Baida). Tita and her older sisters, the rebellious Gertrudis (Andrea Chaparro) and the stoic Rosaura (Ana Valeria Becerril) are raised by their bitter and vengeful widowed mother, Elena (an intense Irene Azuela). The girls come of age and fall in love amid the Mexican Revolution and misogynistic family traditions. The exquisitely lush show breathes new life into one of the most enduring love stories in recent history.
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“Like Water for Chocolate” begins in 1892 with Tita’s birth. The audience watches a pregnant Elena, dressed in widow’s black, chopping onions, in the kitchen at Las Palomas Ranch. When she goes into early labor, all of her servants, including her head cook Nacha (Ángeles Cruz), are taken by surprise. Amid onion peels and grief, Tita is born in a flood of tears. From there, the series flashes forward to the early 1900s. In one scene, Pedro and Tita meet as children in the billowy corn fields where their family ranches connect. Later, as teenagers in 1908, they are seen kissing goodbye before Pedro moves to the city for school. Still, the pair seem destined to be together. Unfortunately, Mama Elena, a woman driven by cruelty and customs, has other plans.
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This narrative is a heady and intoxicating affair. Therefore, Tita and Pedro had to be perfectly cast for the series to soar, and thankfully, Guaita and Baida are up for the task. Throughout the romantic drama, Tita and Pedro’s chemistry continues to heighten, which allows the longing between the characters to smolder across the years. Though the complex love story spans decades, each shocking plot turn and fleeting moment, guided by the series’ head writer, Francisco Javier Royo Fernández, enables the audience to remain committed to seeing this tale through until the end, even when things look bleak.
In addition to the central duo, this story unveils the interworking of a country on the verge of war. It also addresses the rivalry between Tita and Rosaura, flamed by Elena’s interference. In the series format, directors Julian de Tavira and Analorena Perezrios also have ample opportunity to linger on one of the most evocative elements of the story: the food. Suffering under the weight of her mother’s disdain, Tita takes refuge in the kitchen alongside Nacha, who becomes a surrogate mom to her. They bond over their desires for different life paths, and the many dishes Nacha teaches Tita to cook. In the first two episodes of “Like Water for Chocolate,” the camera lingers on butter, sugar, eggs and creams as the women construct classic dishes like cream fritters and Chabela wedding cake. Like Alfonso Arau’s decadent film, the amount of time spent on food in the series is almost luxuriant, adding to the sensuality of the story.
Moreover, as is described in Esquivel’s novel, “Like Water for Chocolate” truly dives into the magical realism of this world. Tita’s feelings, often brimming just underneath the surface, spill forth in mystical and unexplained ways. In Episode 2, Tita, gutted and heartbroken, becomes despondent. It’s as if a deep, frigid cold has taken control of her body. As the scene continues, her bedroom is covered in a layer of frost, ruining the flowers on her bedside table. This is just one of the many outer depictions of her inner anguish. Tita also infuses her private thoughts and feelings into her food, allowing those around her to feel the things she’s unable to voice.
Executive produced by Salma Hayek Pinault, “Like Water for Chocolate” is an indulgent and worthwhile series that stands in tandem with the 1992 film. It’s a show about the cost of true love, familial expectations and womanhood. Though the romance between Tita and Pedro stands at the center, this show is about defiance, owning your destiny and choosing a path that best serves you, even if previously uncharted.
“Like Water for Chocolate” premieres Nov. 3 on HBO, with new episodes dropping weekly on Sundays.
