Pretty Good

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

There are reviewers and critics who wrote about the story being of a profound love; this is not entirely true, in fact, the author of the novel completely dismissed the premise. The Nobel-Prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez was depicting love as an illness akin to cholera in his main character Florentino, because of the obsession and delusion of that very character for his first love Fermina. There is spread of cholera depicted in the story, both the novel and the film so the author called this a trap for the critics. The film is faithful enough to the novel as could be expected given producer Scott Steindorff spent the better part of three years courting the author for the rights.Florentino, played by Oscar winning actor Javier Bardem, in his youth, fell in love with Farmina, played by Giovanna Mezzogiorno, who at first reciprocated it, but since her father did not approve, they were denied courtship as Florentino showed little prospect in her family's judgement. Instead, she was courted by Dr. Juvenal Urbino, played by Benjamin Bratt, to whom she pledged her affection and this shattered Florentino; Juvenal and Farmina married. Florentino swore however to remain virgin for her until she would be his again. To make a long story short, he did not uphold his solemn oath for too long, except in his distorted mind. He started keeping a journal of all the women he seduced trying to fill the void; over time he exceeded six hundred such conquests, facilitated by his gift for poetry and his much laid back demeanor (the novel expanded more about his opium smoking habit than the film did). Still, he fantasized Farmina would be his one day.Faith favored Florentino in later years, when Dr. Urbino passed away, but Farmina was jilted by love as her husband had been unfaithful, carrying on a prolonged affair. But Florentino started courting in earnest until he rekindled Farmina's love; they were both elderly by then. This last part is where most readers and viewers get the reasonable notion that the story is about undying love. If you view it as such, you'll best enjoy the movie for the happy ending it delivers. I'd be remiss if I did not mention that Florentino's sexual depravity, in most of his adult life, is not extolled in the movie, but it's rather made plain that he had issues. He went so far as to seduce a distant relative, América Vicuña, played by Marcela Mar, a minor he sponsored while she was in boarding school; in the novel the affair is more lascivious and when Florentino ends the relation to devote his attention to Farmina, she kills herself.The work is a period piece, with some latitude as historical events unfolded, and there are disparities between periods from the novel to the film. But it won't matter much as the feel for 18th and early 19th centuries are a mere backdrop, well staged though, and take nothing away from the well crafted character development of each of the main and secondary players. I could go on about sub-plots but suffice it to say the narrative, delivered by Bardem is excellent, the dialogue simply delightful, and everyone's performance is impeccable. It is not a shock to read accounts of Gabriel García Márquez exclaiming 'Bravo' after viewing the first final cut of the movie.The critics were wrong about the movie, they rated it poorly and the initial reception by audiences was less than cordial at first. There is no merit to these assessments; after all, it was a Nobel literature prize winning story for which there is minimal screenplay adaptation variation. It's not a mass commercial work, but a classic that in time will gather a following as the book did and still does. Of course, I encourage those who enjoy a good book to get this one, while those who prefer the cinema not to miss the movie. I enjoyed both and trust you will. Lastly, the soundtrack is lovely and three songs are performed with great passion by Shakira, two of which are her compositions, music and lyrics.

Once again, Javier Bardem proves to be one of the best actors in the world. Combining with Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel of the title, the result is a powerhouse of emotion. Bardem is Florentino Arizo, and he falls in love with Fermina Daza, and they write letters to each other and agree to be married. Her father is against the idea, and he sends her to her grandmother and aunt. Years later, she marries her father's choice, Dr. Juvenal Urbino(Benjamin Bratt), and they remain together for fifty years.Florentino vows to remain a virgin when he loses Fermina, but his mother sets him up with a voracious widow who changes his mind very quickly. He keeps a diary detailing his sexual encounters, which build up into the hundreds through several decades. In spite of his escapades, he never forgets his one true love. The difficulty of translating a great novelist is always a challenge. Maybe because I have not read the book, my perspective is different from the many negative reviews of those who compare the two. I found the movie entertaining as a romance spanning fifty years and Bardem is always fun to watch.

First I will start by saying I love the writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I have read his books in both English and Spanish. They are like 3 hundred pages of poetry and visual imagery…like a surreal writer. The story was tweaked a bit for the screen and some of the characters were modified…but the core of the story remained true.I will quickly say that if you liked movies such as A River Runs Through It, The House Of The Spirits, Frida or Like Water For Chocholate, then I think you will enjoy this movie. I am a little sad how few people had the patience or understanding to enjoy this movie, a story of a love from a distance that lasts a lifetime.I do not want to give much of the story away There were so many actors giving their best in this movie that it was a absolute joy. Javier Bardem (who is awesome) and Unax Ugalde did a brilliant job of bringing Florentino to life. Giovanna Mezzogiorno did a great job with a complex emotional character. But even secondary parts like Benjamin Bratt (Dr Juvenal Urbino), John Leguizamo (Fermina's father), Marcela Mar (America Vicuna) and Hector Elizondo (Don Leo) and not to mention many beautiful actresses in minor roles. The cinematography by Affonso Beato was outstanding, capturing human drama as well as capturing sets and surroundings with life. The Art and department and Visual effects departments were absolutely incredible they captured the color, complexity and depth of Marquez's book. Mike Newell did a great job directing and the production was excellent.Watch this with someone you love…or want to love. I bought the movie and read the book again... "They were together in silence like an old married couple wary of life, beyond the pitfalls of passion, beyond the brutal mockery of hope and the phantoms of disillusion: beyond love. For they had lived together long enough to know that love was always love, anytime and anyplace, but it was more solid the closer it came to death."

Although the film managed to cram most of the novel's story, it left much more to be desired from the actors. Aside from Benjamin Bratt marvelously playing the part of Dr. Juvenal Urbino, the supporting cast members did a much better job of making me believe their character than the main cast did. There is a fine line between being passionate and being pathetic, which Javier Bardem did a perfect job of crossing. Not to mention John Leguizamo's lame attempt at a Spanish accent.This film might be perfect for the person who has not read the novel and is just interested in watching a film for the sake of watching.I don't believe justice was done to the Dr. or to the love shared between Fermina and Florentino. A deeper understanding of each characters background would have been satisfactory.I suggest people read the book and then read it again because this film is a waste of time.