Mediterranean Food (2009)

This is a fun romantic-comedy from veteran writer/director Joaquín Oristrell and co-written with Oristrell by another film vet, Yolanda Garcia Serrano. Sophia (Olivia Molina) has been raised working in her parents small family restaurant.It's a bright and clever script with great comedic dialog and a certain innocence of simple fun about it. A great cast and excellent support from Carmen Balagué as Sophia's mother Loren. I would give this a 8.0 out of 10 and recommend it.

In a seaside village in Spain, the teenager Sofía (Olivia Molina) is a bad student that helps her father Ramón (Roberto Álvarez) and her mother Loren (Carmen Balagué) in the kitchen of the small family restaurant and dreams on becoming the best chef in the world. Her best childhood friends are the correct Toni (Paco León) and the reckless Frank (Alfonso Bassave). When Sofía finds that Ramón is bisexual, she leaves her fiancé Toni to work with Frank in a five stars hotel and has one night stand with him. However, she returns to her village when she gets pregnant and marries Toni. Years later, Frank also returns to his village and Sofía loves Toni and Frank and they all live together as a threesome. Sofía cooks with passion and her top-notch culinary is recognized by other chefs. However, when Frank decides to get married and have a normal life, the relationship between Sofía and Toni is affected."Dieta Mediterránea" is an unconventional romance about cooking and threesome. The story is a combination of "Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos" with "Woman on Top", but does not work well since Sofía is a non-likable character that does not care to her children. Actually, all the characters are not well-developed and the plot expects to be fashionable but does not convince. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Dieta Mediterrânea" ("Mediterranean Diet")

This film is about a village woman who has got the skills to become a five star chef. She has to choose between the man she loves and the career she longs for. Or does she? "Mediterranean Food" concentrates on the relationship between Sophia, Toni and Frank; while food is delegated to the background. Instead of celebrating the culinary art, it feels as if Sophia just happens to be someone who can cook. This aspect is unlike the other romantic comedy involving food, such as "Bella Martha".That is not to say "Mediterranean Food" is not enjoyable though. In fact it is very entertaining. It has a lot of subtly funny situations; and plenty more erotic scenes to excite the senses. I find "Mediterranean Food" enjoyable.

I saw this last month at the Palm Springs International Film Festival where it played to packed theaters. This is a fun romantic-comedy from veteran writer/director Joaquín Oristrell and co-written with Oristrell by another film vet, Yolanda Garcia Serrano. Sophia (Olivia Molina) has been raised working in her parents small family restaurant. She can't make up her mind between two men she's known since childhood. Toni (Paco León) is faithful, hardworking and perfect husband material. Frank (Alfonso Bassave) is a slick, handsome jet setter who is in the same profession of food service as Sophia but Frank has upscale industry connections and realizes Sophia has the talent at cooking to be a five star chef. Sophia wants to follow her dreams of owning an upscale restaurant and knows Frank has the keys to helping her but she also does not want to lose Toni so the three come to an unlikely arrangement that will keep them all together. It's a bright and clever script with great comedic dialog and a certain innocence of simple fun about it. A great cast and excellent support from Carmen Balagué as Sophia's mother Loren. Wonderful cinematography by Albert Pascual and a beautiful on screen look by production designer Lorenç Miquel and set decoration by Elisabet Diaz. This is an entertaining film and the audiences at the PSIFF loved it. I would give this a 9.0 out of 10 and recommend it.