DVD of the Week: Love in the Time of Cholera
Monday, April 14th by leinana
In quite a different role from the murderous Anton Chigurh, and with a slightly less ridiculous haircut, Javier Bardem plays what must be the most hopeless romantic in all of literary history—the unfathomably patient, ever-devoted Florentino Ariza.
Fermina Daza is the (somewhat undeserving) object of Florentino’s affections. They meet and fall in love when they are young, but Fermina’s father, played by the strangely mis-cast John Leguizamo, forbids her from seeing Florentino, as he is but a humble telegraph worker. The young couple has fervor and passion rivaling Romeo and Juliet, so when Fermina actually jilts Florentino at the marketplace it is so cold, so abrupt, and so brutal, you can almost see his heart break into a thousand pieces.
Thus begins Florentino’s very long wait for the day when he can, once again, openly declare his love for Fermina. It is remarkable how this tale makes what would probably be considered obsessive stalking, by today’s standards, seem incredibly romantic. At least Florentino finds creative ways to bide his time while he waits for Fermina.
What also struck me about this movie is how certain scenes looked exactly as I imagined them when reading the book. It was almost like experiencing déjà vu. Fermina’s house with the open courtyard where young Florentino plays his violin, the café where Florentino meets Fermina’s father… it is clear that a great deal of attention was paid in bringing Marquez’s words, with the richly detailed descriptions of settings, to life on the screen. The colors are so vibrant that you can practically smell the tropical flowers in Fermina’s garden. Now if only we could do something about Bardem’s hair…
Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)
DVD Date of Release: March 2008
Based on Love in the Time of Choleraby Gabriel Garcia Marquez
