I never read the book, I never read a review, I had no idea what I was getting into when I went to a film festival screening of this film. It's not hard to imagine that the book must have been a romantic experience chronicling a man's love for a woman spanning decades, it's also not hard understanding why you would want to take this story and turn it into a movie.
What is hard to do is sit through it.
There is obviously a lot of hard work and craftsman ship on display. Whatever the budget was, most of it made it to the screen which cannot be said for most productions. However, it's never clear what the tone is, is this a comedy or a drama? Films can have it both ways and win, but here it seems to be they shot it two ways and weren't sure which way to go so they did both. Bardem's character, Florentino, seems to go between being Chaplin and Norman Bates with his bowler's cap & comedic reactions on the one hand and his obsession with his crazy mother who arranges trysts for him on the other. His character at times seems to be brilliant and charming, and at others borderline mentally retarded.
Complicating matters here, Florentino is played by two actors, Unax Ugalde as a teen and Bardem later in life. The choice to swap out the Ugalde for Bardem comes at a strange point in the story, it's when Fermina, the love interest, has not seen him in sometime. This might sound like the perfect point to swap out, but with Fermina played by the beautiful Giovanna Mezzogiorno though most of the film, it's confusing when Bardem steps in now as Florentino. It is here that the Fermina dumps Florentino with really no explanation, but most will feel for her decision as in a span of time that has not touched her...he as aged horrifically! And on top of that, this old man before her seems to be firing on a few lost cylinders. Is this a boy in love, or a psychotic about to rampage? You be the judge. Stalker.
For his time on screen as Florentino, Ugalde is saddled with a prosthetic nose hoisted upon him to resemble Bardem. This is a HUGE mistake, as is, frankly ALL the make-up in this film which could single handedly be the death blow to the film because it is uniformly so bad that for most of the presentation you simply cannot take your eyes off of it. That fake nose, that fake beard, and Mezzogiorno in her 70's she doesn't look a day over 30.
As mentioned, I did not read the book, but it seems the adaptation here may be too faithful, jamming in every aspect of the book. Part of what makes an adaptation difficult to pull off is the knowledge of what to leave out, and in some cases what to add! Here you're treated to so much information, so many locations (and lots of frighteningly bad make-up) the "romance" is left to the wolves.
When Florentino and Fermina finally do get together in the end of the film, it's a relief, not to see them together, but to think the film will be over soon...but it's NOT. It goes on as now he must win her over! This film is filled with good intentions...and we know where that will sometimes get you.
Bardem is lucky NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN opens this week, so anyone who caught this Colombian train wreck can get the bad taste out of their mouth.
What is hard to do is sit through it.
There is obviously a lot of hard work and craftsman ship on display. Whatever the budget was, most of it made it to the screen which cannot be said for most productions. However, it's never clear what the tone is, is this a comedy or a drama? Films can have it both ways and win, but here it seems to be they shot it two ways and weren't sure which way to go so they did both. Bardem's character, Florentino, seems to go between being Chaplin and Norman Bates with his bowler's cap & comedic reactions on the one hand and his obsession with his crazy mother who arranges trysts for him on the other. His character at times seems to be brilliant and charming, and at others borderline mentally retarded.
Complicating matters here, Florentino is played by two actors, Unax Ugalde as a teen and Bardem later in life. The choice to swap out the Ugalde for Bardem comes at a strange point in the story, it's when Fermina, the love interest, has not seen him in sometime. This might sound like the perfect point to swap out, but with Fermina played by the beautiful Giovanna Mezzogiorno though most of the film, it's confusing when Bardem steps in now as Florentino. It is here that the Fermina dumps Florentino with really no explanation, but most will feel for her decision as in a span of time that has not touched her...he as aged horrifically! And on top of that, this old man before her seems to be firing on a few lost cylinders. Is this a boy in love, or a psychotic about to rampage? You be the judge. Stalker.
For his time on screen as Florentino, Ugalde is saddled with a prosthetic nose hoisted upon him to resemble Bardem. This is a HUGE mistake, as is, frankly ALL the make-up in this film which could single handedly be the death blow to the film because it is uniformly so bad that for most of the presentation you simply cannot take your eyes off of it. That fake nose, that fake beard, and Mezzogiorno in her 70's she doesn't look a day over 30.
As mentioned, I did not read the book, but it seems the adaptation here may be too faithful, jamming in every aspect of the book. Part of what makes an adaptation difficult to pull off is the knowledge of what to leave out, and in some cases what to add! Here you're treated to so much information, so many locations (and lots of frighteningly bad make-up) the "romance" is left to the wolves.
When Florentino and Fermina finally do get together in the end of the film, it's a relief, not to see them together, but to think the film will be over soon...but it's NOT. It goes on as now he must win her over! This film is filled with good intentions...and we know where that will sometimes get you.
Bardem is lucky NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN opens this week, so anyone who caught this Colombian train wreck can get the bad taste out of their mouth.