BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Amy Adler In Los Angeles, widower and restaurateur Martin (Hector Elizondo) has a few problems. One is that since his wife's death, he has lost a great deal of his sense of taste and must rely on his fellow chef Gomez to examine the dishes he prepares. But, more importantly, his three daughters still live at home and MUST come to the Sunday meal he prepares for them as a family. Oldest sibling Leticia (Elizabeth Pena) is a chemistry teacher and a born again Christian; she dresses very conservatively and dreams of love. Middle daughter Carmen (Jacqueline Obrados) is a business gal who generally considers affairs of the heart less important than her working goals. Oddly, she is the sister who has inherited her dad's skill as a chef. Youngest daughter Maribel (Tamara Mello), about to enter college, is a free spirited lady who takes a shine to a Brazilian born neighbor, Andy. Sometimes activities crowd the ladies' weeks but they can't skip Sunday dinner. Now, an attractive widow, Hortensia (Raquel Welch) comes calling with an eye on making Martin her next husband. Also, mysteriously, Leticia begins to receive love letters on her school desk. Could they be from the new baseball coach (Paul Rodriguez)? Carmen and Maribel also have ups and downs in their love lives while Martin's partner suffers a health setback. What lies ahead for the family? This lovely remake of Taiwan's Eat Drink Man Woman has a great and very attractive cast. Welch is especially a hoot as the determined divorcée. Sets, costumes, script, direction and score are all quite nice. Most wonderful of all is the food preparation caught on screen, very complex and beautiful. While it might not be a "souper" evening of fun and drama, Tortilla Soup has much, much to offer fans of romance, cooking and family ties.

TxMike Viewed on Netflix streaming video.Hector Elizondo is Martin Naranjo, superb chef for Mexican food, not the type we get from the inexpensive corner Mexican restaurants all over Texas, but real gourmet Mexican food. He has been a widow for 15 years and raising 3 daughters in the Los Angeles area.Martin is a traditionalist. Every Sunday he cooks a gourmet dinner for his family, and they use the setting for family conversation. It seems recently that each Sunday dinner is accompanied by a big surprise. The youngest daughter may not want to go to college right away, instead taking a year off "to find herself." Daughter number two is considering taking a great opportunity in Barcelona. The oldest, a teacher, finds a new boyfriend, the baseball coach at school.The daughters are Jacqueline Obradors as Carmen, Tamara Mello as Maribel, and Elizabeth Peña as Leticia. Adding spice is Raquel Welch as Hortensia, the single mother of a family friend and who has her eye on Martin.Good movie, explores family dynamics and each member "finding themselves."

moviedude1 I liked Hector Elizondo ever since I saw him in "Pretty Woman" and this movie is definitely no exception.All right, I admit it. I like "chick flicks" and I'm not afraid to admit it. I can sit in front of this computer and glance at the television screen each time the scene changes and not have to look back. This is one of those films, but when Elizondo gets to cooking, all I can do is sit there and stare in envy at some of the things he can do with food. As much as he's succeeded with his profession in the kitchen, he sort of feel likes he's failed in the family department; not so much because any of his three daughters have failed at anything (quite the contrary), but because he feels like he's failed in teaching his family heritage to them and its values. He also feels pride in his work as a very accomplished chef, even though, as we find out early on, he's lost his sense of taste.Change happens in all families, and this family is no exception, but, as with everything else, change either brings us closer together in trying to overcome different adversities and obstacles, or drives us further apart. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wonders about their values and where they should be going in life.9 out of 10 stars!!!

morla1972 Another user claimed this movie seemed familiar and decided this was because this was a formula movie. Wrong! It may have seemed familiar because it is written by the same screenwriter who wrote a Chinese film called Eat drink man woman. This has the same plot except it takes place in America! Yin shi nan nu (1994) ,Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) (USA)Retired Master Chef Chu lives in a large house in Taipei with his three unmarried daughters, Jia-Jen, a chemistry teacher converted to Christianity, Jia-Chien, an airline executive, and Jia-Ning, a student who also works in a fast food restaurant. Life in the house revolves around the ritual of an elaborate dinner each Sunday, and the love lives of all the family members.Same plot of this movie, take a look!