Thursday 10 March 2011

Love in the time of Cholera

2007 by Mike Newell based on the novel by Gabrile Garcia Marquez

In 19th century Colombia, young Florentino Ariza easily falls in love with Fermina Daza. Her father is against this love and shifts her to a family home. When she meets him again after a long gap, for some reason she doesnt like him anymore. She later marries Dr. Urbino and have a normal family life. Florentino however is really affected but carries his love for Fermina with him. He does have adventures with other woman, as he finds sex to be a good medicine for his pain, of which he keeps a list on, and he is considered quite brilliant in winning women. After 52 years, when Dr. Urbino dies, Florentino comes back to Fermina and declares his love for Fermina. It takes some time to convince her, but he eventually wins her love and makes love with her, at the very old age though. Before this, he managed to sleep with 622 women.

I am told this was a very touching and successful novel, but as a movie it did not really affect me. May be Spanish characters speaking English sounded weird or the director has failed in making this an eternal love story.

Watch this movie for the excellent performance from the Spanish actor Javier Bardem. I loved him in Vicky Christina Barcelona and here he is excellent again.