Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)

Florentino, rejected by the beautiful Fermina at a young age, devotes much of his adult life to carnal affairs as a desperate attempt to heal his broken heart.

Director:

Mike Newell

Writers:

Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Gabriel García Márquez (novel)

Stars:

Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Benjamin Bratt

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benjamin Bratt	...	Dr. Juvenal Urbino
Gina Bernard Forbes	...	Digna Pardo
Giovanna Mezzogiorno	...	Fermina Urbino
Javier Bardem	...	Florentino Ariza
Marcela Mar	...	America Vicuña
Juan Ángel	...	Marco Aurelio - 40's
Liliana Gonzalez	...	Marco Aurelio's Wife (as Liliana Alvarez Gonzalez)
Catalina Botero	...	Ofelia Urbino - 40's
Miguel Angel Pazos Galindo	...	Ofelia's Husband
Maria Cecilia Herrera	...	Urbino's Sweet Wife
Luis Fernando Hoyos	...	Urbino Urbino
Carlos Duplat	...	Mourner
Francisco Raul Linero	...	Mourner
Unax Ugalde	...	Florentino - Teen
Liev Schreiber	...	Lotario Thugut

Storyline

In Colombia just after the Great War, an old man falls from a ladder; dying, he professes great love for his wife. After the funeral, a man calls on the widow - she dismisses him angrily. Flash back more than 50 years to the day Florentino Ariza, a telegraph boy, falls in love with Fermina Daza, the daughter of a mule trader. Ariza is persistent, writing her constantly, serenading, speaking poetically of love. Her father tries to keep them apart, and then, one day, she sees this love as an illusion. She's soon married to Urbino, a cultured physician, and for years, Ariza carries a torch, finding solace in the arms of women, loving none. After Urbino's fall, are Ariza's hopes delusional?

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Plot Keywords:

love | widow | colombia | marriage | 19th century | 

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Taglines:

How long would you wait for love?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content/nudity and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official MySpace Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

El amor en los tiempos del cólera

Filming Locations:

Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,924,860 (USA) (16 November 2007)

Gross:

$4,584,886 (USA) (14 December 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Stone Village Pictures, Grosvenor Park Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The melody in the song "Hay Amores" (Bolero) sung by Shakira in this film is based on an anonymous traditional popular song called "La Panaderita" (The little baker woman) from the small town of Torrecilla en Cameros, La Rioja, Spain. Whether intentionally or by pure coincidence is not clear. The lyrics in Shakira's song are totally different, of course.

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Goofs

In the beginning when Florentino Ariza is lying with America and the Church bell rings, she says 'Its Pentecost' and then she puts her hand over his body. The same scene is repeated towards the end of the film and is shown from a different camera angle, but here America first puts her hand over Florentino and then says 'Its Pentecost' (not before).

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Quotes

Florentino Ariza: Shoot me. There is no greater glory than to die for love.

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Connections

Referenced in In Plain Sight: Love in the Time of Colorado (2011)

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Soundtracks

Juanita
Written by Miguel Antonio Hernandez Vasquez ('Toño Fernandez')
Performed by Toño Fernandez y sus Sanjacinteros
Published by SBK Colombia/Emi Music Publishing Ediciones Musicales M.V.O. Ltda
Master courtesy of Sunflower Entertainment Co, inc. o/b/o Discos Fuenters Edimusica SA

User Reviews

Loved the book, couldn't stand the film

We had to stop watching after about an hour because we couldn't stand the wooden action and the contrived set piece scenes. Fermina's father was like something out of panto. The whole thing was ridiculous, and really isn't worth 10 lines, so I am at a loss as to how to fill the space up to the minimum. What about: the actors' ages were all wrong - the father looks about 30 in the opening scenes, the elderly Fermina, who is about 68-70, looks about 45 (if that), and Florentino's mother looks as if she was about 55 when he was born. Florentino ages about 30 years from Unax Ubalde to Xavier Bardem, while Fermina ages about a month in the same time. Thank goodness, that's 10 lines. Can I stop now?