Love in the time of Cholera

Love in the time of Cholera (2007) is a film I watched over Valentines as it is just like Romeo & Juliet but with a third act!An adaptation of the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Directed by Mike Newall and led by two great actors Javier Bardem (Florentino) and Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno).
Florentino sets his heart on Fermina and for five decades obsesses over her.Although with many advances through the years Fermina marries Dr. Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt).The doctor is a renowned Cholera curer and falls in love with Fermina as he constantly competes in the love triangle that is between himself , Fermina and the ever persistent Florentino. After the marriage between them Florentino fills his bed and diary with many women to try and forget his lost love even Shakira has a small acting role as one of his many conquests!After many years and many meetings Florentino and Fermina finally get together in there late 70's for this scene a lot of prosthetics were used on the actors to change them personally I did not like this as older actors should have been used instead of too much make up and prosthetics , it just didn't work!Having sat through Love in the time of Cholera without the benefit of having read the Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel that inspired the film, I’m left feeling lost and a little empty.Because we’re shown a glimpse of the story’s final act in the films first few minutes, there’s nothing to look forward to and wonder about as the plot moves sluggishly forward. There's also a problem with continuity in that Fermina and the good doctor are shown as the proud parents of a newborn. Said child then disappears for the length of the film, only to reappear - along with a batch of siblings - toward the end of the movie.
All in all I found it more of a comedy and some of the scenes continuity was completely of.
But if your like me and an old romantic at heart it's an enjoyable few hours of faith bringing two people together , Florentino's stalker traits and the question 'How long would you wait for Love?'
Dawn :)