Given that its original title was Vanilla Fog, it's obvious that Simply Irresistible is an attempt to catch whatever aspect of Like Water for Chocolate that made it such a giant hit. I've never seen Chocolate, so I don't know if Simply Irrestible succeeds in that, but the end result is a weird, off-kilter romance that's not afraid to fall completely flat on its face (which it does several times) with its grand over-the-top gestures. The magical realism is forced[1], and the message of the film boils down to "The way to a man's heart is his stomach." Still, there's something weirdly likable about this film. I don't know whether its Sarah Michelle Gellar's affecting work as Amanda[2], the occasional odd and quirky quip ("She's a wise witch; casts in proverbs."), its goofy anything-goes vibe, or its quaintly old-fashioned qualities.

[1]Exactly how many lingering close-ups of a damn crab does one film need?

[2]Her fellow triplicate costar, Sean Patrick Flannery, on the other hand, is a stiff.