User Reviews

Inspired by the overall initial frame work from the collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, "A Thousand and One Nights" AKA 'Arabian Nights'; in which, a unfaithful woman, Scheherazade, tries to save her own life, by telling interesting stories to her murderous husband, King Shahryar. This Colombian movie tries to tell a similarity tale, of perversion of love; wherein, a desperate promiscuous woman, Susana Mejia (Angelica Blandon) tries to keep her disheartened grieving pianist lover, Rodrigo Borrero (Jose Angel Bichir)'s interested in her, by telling him, stories of her past lovers. Without spoiling the movie, too much, 'Fragment of Love' was not a good, directorial debut for Fernando Vallejo at all! Barely anybody in Colombia went out to go see the film, due to the fact, that the movie didn't get that much marketing funding from its government. At least, it was eventually distributed there, unlike other films like this, just being censored & forgotten. However, in order to get the film released, the director & producers, had to cut down, the violence, drug use, and any mention of politics from the movie. Because of that, the film wasn't as compelling as the novel, in which, it was based on. Colombian author, Héctor Abad Faciolince's novel "Fragments of Furtive Love", made the settlings in which the characters are living in, intense; while the film version is little more light-hearted & safe. In the book, Medellin, is a run-down city besieged by pestilence and disenchantment from the drug wars of the 1990s, the most violent city in the world, where the intensity of violence buried its inhabitants alive. Thus, it become a little more believable, that Rodrigo would feel the need to hear her, humorous past stories, in order to feel better for himself & for Susana to keep him around to feel safe. In the film version, Medellin is not only, not as dangerous, as it once was; besides the bombing in the beginning, but also clean & modern looking, and full of sophistical culture. It's jarring for them to talk about the city trying to cause them pain, when, in the film, both of the characters, are living pretty lavish lives with deep pockets, without much suffering or agony. They're not living in poverty nor relate to any serious crime. Besides their share love of music, there isn't anything really, anything connecting them. In truth, it was pretty jarring for Rodrigo to grow jealous of Susana's hedonism lifestyles, knowing full-well, that what he was getting himself into. It's like getting mad at the sun, when you get sunburn from tanning. It's idiotic. Not only that; but Susana's story telling skills are not that good. It's awkwardly brought in, rather than merged beautifully. Not only, are the stories, are told, simplicity, way too short to be thought-provoking or interesting. It's not even its lowest level; that humorous or erotic. It could easily mistakenly be thought as vulgar or unpleasant. To add to that, the repetitive flashbacks sequences rarely connects to what is happening, overall, in helping their own current relationship. It serves nothing, but filler, leading to destruction. No wonder, in the film version, Rodrigo barely got a fascination muse over it, before he became insecure of losing Susana to another man. While, the film was a lot darker than the book, when it comes to their association, making you, wonder, what sinister, and crazy depths, Rodrigo would go to test Susana's loyally. Their tense relationship doesn't really led to anything positive. You would think, by the end like this, that the main lead, would find his true muse for his betterment or completing lose all of it, but shocking, he's doesn't. The movie ends, pretty much, where it started with the main lead, fruitiness lost in a daze & depressing. As for the whole crazy death mask trophy/ anticlimax plane crash sequence toward the end. It felt just as much, out of place, as the book versions of events. In truth, the movie could had done a lot better without introducing these awful sequences. Despite that, the movie is very well-shot, however, it does come across, as potentially pretentious with the music, even if it's beautiful to listen to. As for the acting. It's a mixed bag for me. While, I will say that you won't be disappointed by the sexuality of Angelica Blandon & Jose Angel Bichir's good-looks, the range in their emotional delivering lines in Spanish was limited, and very standstill. The sex scenes, involving them, were not as stimulating, nor sentiment. They could had done, so much, more with their body language. Overall: I found this movie to be, highly disappointing, both as an eroticism & a drama. In the end, like any other fragments; this movie will cause you pain, very much if you get hands on it. It's really not worth watching.