Customer Reviews

Love in the Time of Cholera

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

For devotees of Gabriel García Márquez this unprofessional adaptation of his sweepingly romantic novel 'El amor en los tiempos del cólera' will sadly disappoint. Ronald Harwood's screenplay is a patchwork quilt that attempts to tell the story of longing for love in the manner of a novella/travelogue and despite the presence of some very fine actors in the key roles, director Mike Newell forgets to grasp the atmosphere that makes the original novel ethereal.

Young Florentino Ariza (Unax Ugalde) is a poor dreamer working as a telegraph operator and sees and falls in love with young Fermina Daza (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), daughter of a wealthy mule trader Lorenzo Daza (John Leguizamo) who upon hearing of the infatuation whisks Fermina away as Florentino pledges undying love and fidelity to Fermina. Florentino's mother Tránsito (Fernanda Montenegro), his uncle Leo (Hector Elizondo), and his friend Lotario Thugut (Liev Schreiber) comfort him and try to encourage his mating with another woman, but as Florentino matures (now Javier Bardem) even the long list of sexual encounters cannot turn his mind away from Fermina. Fermina marries Dr. Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt), travels widely, has his child and ultimately discovers her husband's infidelity. Florentino inherits his Uncle's shipping wealth, becoming one of the wealthy class that would have made him an eligible suitor for Fermina when he originally met her. But time changes everything except Florentino's commitment to Fermina and after the death of Dr. Urbino, he has the chance to realize his long awaited dream of being with the now 70+ year old lover.

The story spans fifty years in an unnamed city in Colombia (here Cartagena) and across the beauty of both South America and Europe. All of the basic elements are in place: the important missing piece is the magic of Gabriel García Márquez's prose. The huge cast is wasted on a script that is less than pedestrian: Javier Bardem tries to make Florentino a credible sympathetic character but is stuck in the mud of his lines; the brilliant Fernanda Montenegro attempts to paste together the pared down role of Florentino's mother; an unremarkable Giovanna Mezzogiorno fails to make Fermina worthy of Florentino's devotion; John Leguizamo is grossly and embarrassingly miscast; fine actors such as Unax Ugalde, Liev Schrieber, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ana Claudia Talancón, Hector Elizondo and others are little more than cardboard caricatures of the original creations.

One wonders how Newell and Harwood could have strayed so far from the mark of the potential that this beautiful novel promised as a cinematic transition. But what resulted from their collaboration is an overlong, boring, and sloppy version of the original story. Sad to see fine actors wasted in this film. Grady Harp, March 08

Love in the Time of Cholera

Just about everyone appears to agree that the motion picture is a dreadful representation of the novel by the Nobel Price Winner, Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera. It is obvious that this movie does not come close to the masterpiece on which it is based; however, it does bring to the audience some of the aspects of the theme of aging that are depicted in the novel. It brings up, for instance, the infirmity of loss of memory suffered by Tránsito Ariza, Florentino's mother, and the perspectives of other characters regarding the acceptance of love in mature ages. For instance, América Vicuña, Florentino's youngest lover, is extremely surprised when old Florentino conveys to her that he is going to marry, and Ofelia, Fermina's daughter, actually believes that love was disgusting or "revolting" at mature ages. Nevertheless, the motion picture does an outstanding job at depicting the fact that the love of the elderly is entirely acceptable, understandable, and sublime. Florentino and Fermina indeed get pleasure from their mature love in spite of their outer appearances and relative physical fragility. The movie conveys that the elderly are still young at hearth and that is all what is essential.

After reading all the negative reviews on this movie, I wasn't sure I wanted to see it. I loved the novel, and now am a fan of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's works. I was pleasantly suprised that the movie kept true to the novel, and very much pleased with the actors that brought the charaters in Marquez's book to life. The scenery is spectacular, and the cinematography is breathtaking. Its worth watching and judging for yourself, as Oscar Wilde once said..."One man's poetry is another man's posion".

I read Gabriel Garcia Marques' book "Love in the Tine of Cholera" many years ago, while on vacation in Hawaii. I figured I really wanted to be in exotic location to read such exotic novel about the love at the time of peril. What struck me the most was that in the first chapter, writer gives the most beautiful explanation about what the marriage is all about and novel take off from there. It is altimately unfair to compare beauty of Garcia Marques' words to any visual representation of his work. Such task is simply impossible. I never expected movie to match the novel, but I hoped that it would come close. It did not. I will not retell the story, since many of the reviewers already did it, but what bothered me the most is that some actors (like the role of Fermina Daza's father played by John Linguizamo) are hard to pinpoint as either a miscast or overdone acting on the actor's behalf. At times, Linguizamo looks more like a pimp than a father. The film looses the essence of the story that sometimes we spend our entire life waiting for the things we want most or wondering with regret and guilt if we made the right choices. I also found it that film almost misses that the point that after decades of submission and spousal duty, main female character Fermina, finally finds her own strength in her 70s to make her own choices and stand up for herself in front of her own adult children. "Love at the time of Cholera" is really a story of transformation, longing and conflict between romance and real life we all experience. It also poses the idea that the only true, young love is the only enduring love that can sustain itself forever - for as long as it is true in the hearts of the both individuals involved in the affair. To understand all that, you must read the book because you will not experience it with this movie.

Having been to Cartegna (where a great deal of this movie is shot), I was impressed by the cinematography that capture the beauty of the old portions of the city and the Colombian countryside in general!

The story is a lifetime love story (of Garica Marquez's great-grandfather?) of Florentino, who works in the Cartegna Western-Union type shop. One day Florentino spies Fermina and is instantly smitten. He goes home to compose a love-letter to her which literally is as long as a book. Pretty soon Florentino and Fermina are exchanging letters back and forth. Each waits in anticipation of the other's next letter.

One day Florentino goes to serenade Fermina and asks her to marry him. She hesitates (showing the audience of some signs to come) before her female companion (I guess it was her maid) convinces her to reluctantly say yes. Fermina's father is furious. He did not raise his prize daughter to be married to only a "wire clerk." He confronts Florentino who refuses to back down. Thus Fermina's father takes her away from Cartegena and Fermina tells Florentino just before going that she never wants to see him again.

Florentino is devastated and his mother feeling sorry for him convinces his uncle to put Florentino to work on a river boat far away from Cartegna.

In the meantime, Fermina contracts an illness. When the young doctor comes to see her, he is instantly taken by her beauty and asks her father for her hand. Her father gladly says yes and Fermina reluctantly marries.

Meanwhile Florentino has returned to Cartegna thinking that once Fermina's husband dies, she will come back to him. He does some very indiscreet things in the meantime while he is waiting (which will prove to be a very long time).

The movie is full of superb acting and relationships especially between Florentino and his mother, Florentino with his uncle, Florentino with a couple that he writes poetry for, Fermina and her cousin. There is some excellent background music sung by Shakira. The movie also shows the strong culture that is Colombia. This is a must see film for anyone who likes a good love story and wishing to know the beauty that is Colombia!

WHY OH WHY do those who read a book complain about how a film does no justice to the literary version??? A painting, photo or movie will NEVER be able to capture the mingling of words and imagery in your own mind and it is supremely unfair to compare bananas and pomegranates! I did not read
the book version until AFTER I saw the film three times. Needless to say I was moved thanks to the solid performances especially Bardem!...they both succeeded for different reasons and folks ought to resist the tendency to compare versions as they have uniquely different qualities to offer their audiences. Also, very little tonothing has been written or analyzed about the magnificent portrayal of love and intimacy experienced as we humans age...bravo for this moving odyssey over a lifetime!

I strongly disagree with the opinions that this is less than a beautiful movie. This is by far my favorite Garcia-Marquez book and the rendition was beautifully done. The anguish of Javier Bardem is palpable and the other characters well done. Anyone who loves Colombia should enjoy this film so authentically filmed in the northern regions of Cartegena, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Magdalena. A Colombian love story in the beauty of Colombia - a treasure and I highly recommend it.

I agree that the complexity of the novel is simplified, in part due to time constraints and in part due to the imagination that a book allows, but a movie does not. However, it is for the most part, true to the novel, which is my favorite of all of Garcia-Marquez novels.

The photography is breath-taking, very artistic and natural. The 'natural-earthy' was chosen over the 'ethereal'...both of which were included in the novel, but which would not work side-by-side in a movie.

The soundtrack, by Shakira, touches the soul, if one has got one.

However, the acting itself, whether the movie was based on a book or not, is impressive. The acting seems 'natural' and simply flows from their hearts, as opposed to being 'forced' and 'complicated'. The talent of virtually every single character seems well above-average, which is rare in ANY movie.

Though the story is one of the best in magical realism, it is difficult to convey this in film. The audience must be trained in picking up the 'signs' that the movie delivers. And, the movie does deliver plenty of these signs...

Truly enjoyable! IMHO, it will become a romance classic in the stature of Casablanca...

It's worth $50 to purchase "No Country for Old Men" in Blu Ray and this movie just to watch the great acting lesson provided by Javier Bardem who is the youngest member of a family of actors (and it really shows!). The movie itself is much better than the negative reviews that are obsessed with its inferiority relative to the novel. There is much to be learned here about life and the aging process. The good news is sex after seventy is happening in grand style not to mention the dream fulfilled of getting a second chance to be with your high school sweetheart. The critics need to lighten up and get a grip on their (lost) sense of humor (assuming they ever had one).

The '07 film `Love in the Time of Cholera' is one of weirdest, most unsatisfying love story I've ever watched. It begins somewhat promising with a sweet, innocent relationship carried on via notes passed secretly back and forth between young Florentino (Unaz Ugalde) and Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), but once Fermina unexpectedly breaks off the relationship the storyline goes downhill the rest of the way.

Fermina's ensuing marriage to Dr. Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) never captures the emotional interest of the viewer and the now older Florentino (Javier Bardem) has evolved into a somewhat scary womanizer who chronicles each romantic conquest in a journal while still professing undying, obsessive love for Femina. The central characters simply aren't likeable and one will eventually begin to wonder why they're bothing to watch this one at all.

With that said there are a couple of positives that deserve a mention. The lush Columbian landscape is beautifully captured on film and the Shakira infused soundtrack is fabulous.

My Rating: -2 1/2 Stars-.