Love in the Time of Cholera

Although I felt the book dragged some, it wasn't all bad. It was a sweet story, sometimes using just-beyond-reality details to bring home its themes.

Although the movie did show Francisco eating flowers, it mostly stuck to reality. The general plot came straight from the book, although America's suicide was left out (mercifully) There was also a very extensively-covered suicide at the beginning of the book that was omitted from the movie. These two details did not actually add much to the main plot, though.

All three main characters were likable, as they are in the book. Benjamin Bratt (the doctor) was handsome, as usual. I thought the makeup used to have the characters age was wonderful. One of the book's main themes was the aging process, and this shone through very clearly in the film. We are never too old for love, we see that here.

The doctor's infidelity was covered very thoroughly in the movie. When she told him she wished he had lied to cover up, Francisco's lie at the end ("I remained a virgin for you") seems twice as sweet, and she smiles and says "liar".