Highly Overrated But Still Good

A Disappointing Continuation

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I can not agree with the review that brands this movie as a pretentious piece. Nevertheless I'm not absolutely positive about it. I think that you shouldn't miss it if you haven't read the book. The movie has very rare virtues - probably thanks to the genius of Ripstein -: the aforementioned cinematography is stunning (the shots on the riverside, the interior of the Colonel's house, etc.), the slow pace helps to create a unique atmosphere which is very suited to the subjects.Said this, I have quite a few objections, too: 1) Some allusions place the plot in a Mexican context, which is far away from the original one. 2) A lot of symbols from the novel (where almost everything has a symbolic value - thanks to the genius of Márquez): a) The apprehension of the wife for the rooster and for the Friday's mail with the pension extinguishes the very strong difference between husband and wife which is fundamental in the book; b) The introduction of the mortgage-theme marks a very single and unrepeated situation, although in the novel there is no such thing, the main point is the monotony of the status of the old couple. 3) In my view the wife (for example by going to the cinema and talking to the priest) has a less consistent character, but at the same time the political views of the Colonel and of the friends of his son are overly stressed. 4) The introduction of the lover's storyline weakens the tension (which is tried to be substituted with the mentioned political views' exposure) that proceeds of the reticence of the causes of the death of the son. 5) I may have forgotten some points for now, but, at last, if you speak Spanish and know something about its accents, the wife's talking will bother you a bit.I'm not saying at all that this is a bad piece, but having read the sublime book of Márquez, and as the movie is confessedly the cinematographic version of the novel (and in my opinion that takes away the complete separateness of the work of Ripstein), I can't help having these thoughts after watching it.

In a poor village in Mexico, the Colonel (Fernando Luján) lives with his asthmatic wife Lola (Marisa Paredes) in an old house. Lola still grieves the death of their son Augustin some time ago. The colonel has been expecting for his pension of fighter in a war against Catholic church for almost twenty-seven years. However, for political reasons, the present government wants to forget this old fight. Without having any possession or money, but a valuable gamecock, they struggle to survival with the expectation of the acknowledgement letter from the government, recognizing the law and paying for the delayed pension. This slow and touching movie reflects the social and financial situation of most of the elder retired persons in third world countries. In Brazil, most of the retired persons has to survive with about US$ 80,00 per month. The debts of the colonel in the story were made to pay for a graveyard for his son, otherwise he would be buried as an indigent. Outstanding performance of the cast, in a very sad story that is reality in the poor countries. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): (`Não se Escreve ao Coronel') (Do not Write to the Colonel)

a bit slow and boring, the tale of an old man and his wife living a delapidated building and interacting with a fixed cast of characters like the mailman, the brothers sitting on the porch, the wealthy cigar smoking man. The photography of the river is marvelous, as is the interior period decoration. If you like decoration of Banana Republic stores, this is a must.

A sober, reflexive piece, a little miniature which blossoms into a magnificent humane pictorial sequence which goes beyond a mere dramatization for the screen. This quiet little story will hold you enthralled - if you do not have too many problems with the various Spanish accents ranging from Mexican to Peruvian, and Marisa Paredes' more authentic Iberian Peninsular usage! Garcíadiego has accomplished a perfect adaptation from the novel: even the grand maestro García Márquez should be proud of her superb work. And hats off to Arturo Ripstein who has so ably concerted the whole effort into a gem, a ruby, and so refined, so elegant, so sensitive, so touchingly.....El Coronel - Fernando Luján - is waiting to get his pension, while he continues to live in his ramshackle timber dwelling deep in the Colombian jungle (however, filmed elsewhere, NOT in Colombia) with his fighting cock and his wife (in that order?). And that is all there is to it.But, oh, so much more.... This film is a rhapsody.I must see this poetic little piece again as soon as possible. Worth the high side of 8 out of 10, which is very high on my scale.This is not light commercial Hollywood stuff.