Cholera tells the tale of a young love struck boy named Florentino Ariza (Javier Bardem). His passion for the daughter of a mule merhant knows no bounds. Much to the chagrin of her father (John Leguizamo), letters are exchanged between Florentino and his lady love Fermina Urbino (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and soon the star crossed lovers begin speaking of marriage. Whisked away by her father, Fermina is forced to spend much time alone from Florentino and eventually comes to a realization about their future together. Florentino is ultimately dismissed by his one and only true love and with that dismissal comes a broken heart. He begins to seek solace in physical relations with hordes of other women. It seems that heavy amounts of promiscuous sex with any and all willing women are the only way to quell the aching in Florentino’s heart. Although his carnal indiscretions are many, his deep love for Fermina never completely dies. Over a long many years, Florentino keeps track of Fermina and although she marries a dashing doctor (Benjamin Bratt) and has several children, he still ultimately pines for her and her alone.

       This film tells the brilliant story of a lifetime of love and the places that it leads us. Javier Bardem shines brilliantly in the lead role of Florentino Ariza and ultimately shows why he is an Oscar winner. Not all performances in this film were as brilliant, however. John Leguizamo’s joke of an acting job is downright laughable at times and the only bright spot about it is the fact that his role in the film is quite limited. Although I am not familiar with much of the work of Giovanna Mezzogiorno, she impressed me here and ultimately proved that she can be quite multi faceted in her abilities.

       I usually never talk about such a thing as hair or make up in any review I write, but here I believe I cannot finish this review without at least giving it a passing mention. Aside from when they are shown in their teens, many of the actors/actresses remain the same throughout the film. The span of this thing is a measure of 50 plus years. The way that we see these characters age as years pass is simply something amazing. The looks are flawless and completely believable. If Javier wants to know what he will actually look like when he is 70, all he must do is replay the end scenes of this film.

       What could be considered the main musical theme of the film is a tune called "La Despedida" and it is penned and performed by Shakira. Her hips don’t lie and neither does anyone who says that her talents extend beyond simply shaking her "assets" on the dance floor. Despedida is a beautiful song with very touching lyrics and it may surprise some to know that it was written by Shakira herself. It plays well into the film and it surely embodies the message that this movie attempts to instill.

       I will tell you to watch this film. Many say that it does the book little justice, but for a mood that is ultimately and hopelessly romantic, you cannot find a much better thing to view. It will be enjoyed by women for sure, but it can also be enjoyed by many men if they are just a bit willing to be open to it. Fans of Javier Bardem will be is a state of euphoric bliss. Watch it, friends.