Set in Columbia in the 19th and 20th centuries, this is a tale of unrequited romantic love. An unwavering love which stands the test of time, and becomes, in itself, enough to justify an existence.
This is a wonderful story which should have made a wonderful film, but it rarely manages to fire on all cylinders. There are a couple of scenes with some deliciously subtle humour, others of poetic beauty, and yet others of touching sensitivity, but somehow this is just not quite enough. When true love finally triumphs, I expected the emotional tug which would make me reach for my handkerchief but it never came, and in the end, I felt deflated; as if I had been short-changed.
Looking through the credits, it appears that the main criterion for appearing in this film was to be of South American (preferably Columbian) or Spanish descent. As a result, many of the performances in the minor roles are rather weak, if not downright bad. John Leguizamo who plays Fermina's father, comes across more as an inept, juvenile, jealous husband, and Angie Cepeda, beautiful as she is, really "hams it up" as Widow Nazareth. Even Giovanna Mezzogiorno (Fermina) was, in my opinion, miscast. She is made to look very plain, as she is constantly surrounded by women more beautiful than her, and she is unable to carry the part adequately as she ages from 20 to 72 without adapting her voice or movement. I was surprised to see that Susie Figgis was the casting director. With her pedigree I would have expected better.
Xavier Bardem (Florentino) does successfully carry the ageing required of his character, He has great screen presence, but his interpretation of the character is suspect. To me, a consummate seducteur of women, and a shy, stooped old man who shuffles along in his ill-fitting bowler hat, are incompatible.
But the film is almost destroyed single-handedly by the make-up department. They make Femina at the age of 72 look like a tired 30 year-old wearing too much "slap", and they somehow overlook the fact that 72 year old women generally do not have hands that are creamy-white and wrinkle free. Add to this, moustaches that don't quite fit properly and I think you get the picture.
When Florentino junior (Unax Ugalde), is suddenly replaced by Florentino senior (Xavier Bardem) many years older, I expected the other characters to have aged accordingly, but not so. Surprisingly, and disconcertingly, none of the other characters seem to have aged a day. They were aged later, but at different, inconsistent rates.
Apart from Bardem, there are good performances from Hector Elizando, who plays the part of Don Leo with great panache, and Fernanda Montenegor as Florentino's mother, who invests her character with a strong emotional authenticity. These two stand head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. Full marks too for the atmospheric sets, the beautiful shots of the Columbian countryside, and the music.
Considering that the producer Scott Steindorff apparently spent over 3 years to persuade Gabriel García Márquez to give him the rights to the book, he could have done better with the material, and he should be disappointed, as I was, with the resulting film.
This is a wonderful story which should have made a wonderful film, but it rarely manages to fire on all cylinders. There are a couple of scenes with some deliciously subtle humour, others of poetic beauty, and yet others of touching sensitivity, but somehow this is just not quite enough. When true love finally triumphs, I expected the emotional tug which would make me reach for my handkerchief but it never came, and in the end, I felt deflated; as if I had been short-changed.
Looking through the credits, it appears that the main criterion for appearing in this film was to be of South American (preferably Columbian) or Spanish descent. As a result, many of the performances in the minor roles are rather weak, if not downright bad. John Leguizamo who plays Fermina's father, comes across more as an inept, juvenile, jealous husband, and Angie Cepeda, beautiful as she is, really "hams it up" as Widow Nazareth. Even Giovanna Mezzogiorno (Fermina) was, in my opinion, miscast. She is made to look very plain, as she is constantly surrounded by women more beautiful than her, and she is unable to carry the part adequately as she ages from 20 to 72 without adapting her voice or movement. I was surprised to see that Susie Figgis was the casting director. With her pedigree I would have expected better.
Xavier Bardem (Florentino) does successfully carry the ageing required of his character, He has great screen presence, but his interpretation of the character is suspect. To me, a consummate seducteur of women, and a shy, stooped old man who shuffles along in his ill-fitting bowler hat, are incompatible.
But the film is almost destroyed single-handedly by the make-up department. They make Femina at the age of 72 look like a tired 30 year-old wearing too much "slap", and they somehow overlook the fact that 72 year old women generally do not have hands that are creamy-white and wrinkle free. Add to this, moustaches that don't quite fit properly and I think you get the picture.
When Florentino junior (Unax Ugalde), is suddenly replaced by Florentino senior (Xavier Bardem) many years older, I expected the other characters to have aged accordingly, but not so. Surprisingly, and disconcertingly, none of the other characters seem to have aged a day. They were aged later, but at different, inconsistent rates.
Apart from Bardem, there are good performances from Hector Elizando, who plays the part of Don Leo with great panache, and Fernanda Montenegor as Florentino's mother, who invests her character with a strong emotional authenticity. These two stand head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. Full marks too for the atmospheric sets, the beautiful shots of the Columbian countryside, and the music.
Considering that the producer Scott Steindorff apparently spent over 3 years to persuade Gabriel García Márquez to give him the rights to the book, he could have done better with the material, and he should be disappointed, as I was, with the resulting film.