moviefreak

Never read the novel, so didn’t expect anything from the movie. The pace is slow and it’s fully romantic drama, so this movie may not be enjoyable for some people. As for me, I find myself intrigued by the plot. I want to know how it ends, especially because of Javier Bardem’s character in the movie. I think this movie deserves 7 stars out of 10.

The Story:

Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) is a lovely young lady who lives in Colombia with her father, a mule trader. A young man named Florentino (young Florentino is played by Unax Ugalde) falls head over heels in love with her. He’s such a poetic person, so he writes love letters to her and she replies to his letters. She thinks that she’s in love with him. However, Fermina’s Dad disapproves of this, since he wants her to marry someone who has a higher status. After all, Florentino is only a young boy who works in a telegraph company. So Fermina’s Dad separate them by telling Fermina to go back to the village.

After some time, Florentino (Javier Bardem) tries to find ways to meet Fermina, but after their meeting, Fermina realizes that she’s not really in love with him. She’s only been in love with his image. The broken-hearted Florentino just wants to die. He feels that life has no meaning anymore. His mother tries to introduce him to other girls, but he’s not interested in them. He’s obsessed with Fermina.

Meanwhile, Fermina meets a successful doctor named Dr. Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) and her Dad naturally approves this relationship. They get married and they have kids. The (again) broken-hearted Florentino decides to keep his love pure for Fermina while he embarks on the journey of passion with many, many, MANY women and he records his “adventures” with all those women in a book. 

Decades later, the doctor dies and after the funeral, the joyful Florentino visits Fermina. He’s still deeply in love with her and he wants her to give him another chance. By now, Florentino has waited for Fermina for over 50 years. 

Will Fermina give him another chance despite their old age? 

Notes:

1. I like the reality of the movie, especially when it’s describing the relationship between Fermina and her husband. There are some strained parts in their marriage, but they manage to solve those hard parts. What are those hard parts? I’m not going to spoil it for you he he he he he…

2. Though I dislike the part where Florentino sleeps with so many women, it amazes me that he DOES wait for Fermina for over 50 years. He truly believes that she’s the one for him and you can see how much he worships her. I think Javier did a MARVELOUS job playing his part. 

3. One thing that bothers me, though, is the possibility of his getting STDs after sleeping with so many women. Hmmm…anyway, it’s just a story, right? 

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