Love in the Time of Cholera

Love in the Time of Cholera is a lovely film about love. But it is too bad that the critics, for the most part, don't like it. It will keep people away from seeing the film.

The movie is based on a marvelous novel written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It takes place before the turn of the century - the late 1800s and early 1900s. Young Florentino Ariza (Unax Ugalde) sees Fermina Dazza (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and immediately falls in love with her.
They start writing love letters to each other and he declares his undying love for her. She accepts his marriage proposal. But when her father (John Leguizamo) finds out he puts a stop to it and sends Fermina away. In the meantime Florentino pines for her and proves that love can turn into an illness.

When Fermina returns she runs into Florentino (by this time he is played by Javier Bardem) and tells him that whatever was between them is over. He is devastated. Fermina comes down with an illness resembling cholera. But it isn't. The doctor who treats her, Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) falls for her and the two eventually marry. This is more grief for Florentino. He tries to overcome his sorrow by bedding as many women as possible. What happens later on I will not tell you. If you read the book you already know and if you haven't then it will be a surprise.

Bardem is outstanding as Florentino - you can really feel his pain. Bardem once again proves what a great and versatile actor he is. Mezzogiorno is good as Fermina and Bratt is better than I expected as the Doctor. Leguizamo is a bit over the top at Fermina's father and his accent was a bit off. There are some very good supporting performances. On the top of the list is Fernanda Montenegro as Florentino's mother. Some of the best scenes in the film are between her and Bardem. Also terrific are Catalina Sandino Moreno as Fermina's cousin and Hector Elizondo as Florentino's uncle.

You can tell from watching the film that both director Mike Newell and screenwriter Ronald Harwood worked very hard. I know that they have been criticized for their work. But I think that they did a good job. Would this film have been better with a Latino director and screenwriter? And if it had been in Spanish? I don't know. Maybe it would have been a masterpiece instead of a very good film. But Cholera wasn't an easy film to adapt and I think that it is being judged too harshly.

Also of note are the technical aspects of the film - Wolf Kroeger for production design, Alfonso Beato for cinematography, Antonio Pinto for original music, Marit Allen for costumes are among those who make the film a visual treat.

I think that those in charge should have realized this might be a tough sell - after all there wasn't a lot "Oscar Buzz" for the film before it came out. Because, sadly, I think that this film will get buried. It might have been wiser to release it around Valentine's day because it is the ultimate in romantic films.

I highly recommend this film for those of you who like love stories and for those of you who think that Bardem is a great actor. Try to catch it on the big screen but if you can't then at least see it when it comes out on DVD. It is a real treat for the senses.