(rated R, 85 mins)
This is a story about the magic of food, love and music with a woman who insists on being on top in the bedroom and in the kitchen. Isabella, (Penelope Cruz) is a sultry girl born with a special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When Isabella decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband’s (Murilo Benicio) restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career. Like a bad recipe, it’s not a lame script, a poor director or bad casting, it’s just the way the ingredients blend. And, enough with the salsa dip already! Though this story tries very hard to be romantic and sexy in winning the spirits and minds of the audience, it doesn’t. It’s a childish presentation attempting to play grown-up. Nobody favors romance more than me, but this one has undeveloped, unreal characters that lack substance. Maybe they should have checked a cookbook for the missing ingredient! The movie really downslides from its golden gate bridge scene and should just plummet right into the bay!
This is a story about the magic of food, love and music with a woman who insists on being on top in the bedroom and in the kitchen. Isabella, (Penelope Cruz) is a sultry girl born with a special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When Isabella decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband’s (Murilo Benicio) restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career. Like a bad recipe, it’s not a lame script, a poor director or bad casting, it’s just the way the ingredients blend. And, enough with the salsa dip already! Though this story tries very hard to be romantic and sexy in winning the spirits and minds of the audience, it doesn’t. It’s a childish presentation attempting to play grown-up. Nobody favors romance more than me, but this one has undeveloped, unreal characters that lack substance. Maybe they should have checked a cookbook for the missing ingredient! The movie really downslides from its golden gate bridge scene and should just plummet right into the bay!