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."

Some movies just make you feel good. 'Tortilla Soup' is certainly one of those.It is the story of a widowed master chef living with his three grown daughters (The premise made me think of the classic Charles Laughton film 'Hobson's Choice.') A fun film, with good dialogue, a sparkling cast and a sweet spirit, it is both hilarious and touching.Hector Elzondo plays Martin Naranjo, a master chef who has lost most of his sense of smell and taste. (I'm still not sure if he still owns his restaurant, or if he now only helps out there.) He is still living with his daughters, who appear to range in age from about 18 to 30.Leticia (Elizabeth Pena) is the oldest, an old-maid chemistry teacher who is devoutly devoted to God, her dad and her teaching. Carmen (Jacqueline Obradors) is the middle daughter, who loves to cook, but whom her father has pressed to get an MBA and pursue a career in big business. Maribel (Tamara Mello) has apparently just graduated from high school and is expected to start college soon.The family is wonderful together. Martin insists on family dinners being respected. He prepares huge restraint-style Mexican meals and expects everyone to be on time and pleasant. With three women under one roof for too many years, though, that isn't often possible.As the story progresses, everyone finds romance, including Martin. The sisters are fantastic together and each one is fun to watch individually. Stand-up comic Paul Rodriguez is perfect as the high school baseball coach who steals Letty's heart, while Nikolai Kinski is very good as Maribel's Brazilian heartthrob. Former bombshell Raquel Welsh, meanwhile, shows guts at age 60 in playing an over-the-hill near-floozy to perfection. (I am reminded of 1930s love goddess Dorothy Lamour's similar role in 'Donovan's Reef.') Constance Marie, meanwhile, is totally lovable as her daughter Yolando.Director Maria Ripoll, who has only directed a handful of films, showed an amazingly deft touch – both in the dramatic scenes and especially in the comedic sequences. There are some wonderful moments, including the final dinner together, when Letty and Orlando (Rodriguez) attempt to explain their situation. Elzondo's expression is simply priceless. The same can be said each time he waits to give the 'amen' to Letty's ever-longer blessings before meals.This is another fine little film that went under the radar. Like 'Off the Map,' 'Eulogy,' 'The Shipping News,' 'An Unfinished Life' and a handful of other little-seen gems of the past decade, this is a delight for anyone who stumbles across it. I recommend at least one large helping of 'Tortilla Soup.'

This is the best performance by Hector Elizondo! All of the cast was excellent. I found the movie to be very moving and witty. I never saw the original version but the adaptation is just great. To me this is one of the all time great movies, it brings you along with the sentiments of the family. The cooking scenes are excellent! The story is fantastic! There are some twists and turns that help the movie along, I would rather not give away the ending nor too much information so I won't reveal too much. I would say that as a Hispanic this movie just blew me away and as a single father of four girls with two at home, I can relate to it just fine. The credits say that the song is sung by Doris Day and it may be but for the credits, I just have to believe that it is not her!

I have never seen nor heard of, Eat, Drink, Man, Women and just caught the start of this one on Sky Movies. As I didn't have time to watch the film at that time I looked up when it would be repeated and taped it. As I'm a passionate amateur cook I was blown away with the food preparation. As for the film, I found it sensitive, interesting and very well acted. I've watched it right through and will watch it again more than once. So there!!