It is an accepted fact that Hollywood will take foreign language films that it likes and remake them as it sees fit. Vanilla Sky and the upcoming Insomnia are prime examples, with the aim being to glam up the original and make the product a success second time round.
However Tortilla Soup, a U.S. transposition of Ang Lees superlative Eat Drink Man Woman, is a remake that does not fit into this category.
Lees film was a huge success with Stateside audiences when released eight years ago, yet this hollow retread which actually grossed less than its inspiration adds neither big name actors nor any new ideas.
Like a drunken karaoke version of a classic song, this derivative piece of filmmaking does little but blemish our memories of the magic it is trying to copy.