This is film is the perfect adaptation from a magical reality in print. Ironically only the viewers that have also read the book will appreciate fully the accuracy of this book adaptation to film. In most cases, a picture will always be worth a thousand words and this film attempts to narrate this story in 2 hours and 18 minutes. Sadly, you need Gabriel Marcia Marquez’s (GGM) masterful use of words and language to appreciate the emotion and nostalgia of the characters and places. This movie is a beautiful animated illustration of GGM’s poetry-rich verse. Nothing more. This is not a short-coming of the writer, director or actors but of the nature of film itself. Some will say that this movie is bland and boring but only those who have read the book will notice how the film is embedded with famous quotes from the book. Had the movie diverted from the book in order to be made more appealing to the illiterate masses, that would have been the real short-coming of the film.
The film is truly a masterpiece except in one aspect. The soundtrack of the movie was very intrusive to the innate nostalgic emotion of GGM’s writing. Shakira style of singing was in constant discordance with an otherwise perfect picture film. The intermittent lyrics of Shakira’s “Pienso en ti” were annoyingly simplistic every time they were heard throughout the movie. Shakira’s new original track “Hay Amores”, though is in perfect harmony with the theme, mood and setting of the film, do not make up for the lack of an emotive acoustic soundtrack. One single song cannot carry the artistic load for this literary adaptation. As a matter of fact, not a single artist should be given the responsibility of a full soundtrack. Colombian artists have displayed amazing talent, especially in the last decade, but somehow other Latin Rock artists have been overlooked. Gustavo Santaolalla was certainly a better match for this film… not to mention, Juanes, Mana, Cafe Tacuba, or Enanitos Verdes, Ely Guerra to name a few of the most prominent artist. There is a natural marriage between Latin American Cinema and Latin Rock (Rock En Espanol), but this connection was forgotten. Then again… it wasn’t Latin American Cinema but Hollywood trying to be Latin American.
Amores Perros was a great film not only for the film. The soundtrack was richer in so many more ways that the film. A beautiful opportunity was missed with “Love in the Time of Cholera” to coin unforgettable songs that would have endured with the viewers for a lifetime. Perfect example: “Avientame” by Cafe Tacuba.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop-up/B000051Y42002002/ref=mu_sam_wma_002_002
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