Amor real

Although I don't speak Spanish, with the aid of close captions and a dictionary I was able to follow much of it. As I tuned in about three quarters of the way through the episodes, I purchased the DVD with English subtitles so that I could fill in the episodes I missed and figure out who was who. Sadly, the DVD was more like watching a one hour season recap of LOST without the explanatory pop ups. Had I not seen the last part in full, I would never had known what was going on. Some characters popped up without any explanation: e.g. the liberated woman who dressed as a man did not appear until she proposed to Renato Piquet (who was Renato anyway?). If only the copious extras had included a full synopsis and character biography list. This show was FAR too good to throw away in a four hour version.

The extras showed the enormous effort which had gone into making the show, the HUGE cast, thousands of period costumes, and a specially built set which would make a "Colonial Mexico" them park. I can only hope that the show will be repeated in full some time in the near future so that I can tape every episode, or that an extended version could be brought out on DVD.

95 episodes, minus commercials and chapter bookends last about 35 minutes each, which adds up to slightly over 55 1/2 hours, which would fit on 10 DVD's, or even 5 double sided.

To get to the story. This show was one of the most spectacular romantic series every. It had everything, beautiful women, handsome men, passionate love, intrigue, scheming, power grabs, gorgeous settings, cheating, star-crossed lovers, family loyalties, family secrets, a revolution - a real feast for the eyes, and for one who lives in the US, a refreshing change to see the way the Mexicans see themselves rather than the caricatures usually portrayed by Hollywood films. I cannot wait to see it shown again.

My only gripe was Matilde's constant snivelling got on my nerves. Not only did she cry enough to fill a bathtub, but the men were at it too. As little Manuelito said to his father, "Men don't cry"! Well they did in this show, by the bucket.

I have watched this so many times and I enjoy it always as the 1st time I watched it.

Amor Real is an excellent remake of the serialized novel, or telenovela,Bodas de Odio, which was an enormous sucess with the beautiful and talented Christian Bach in the lead role back in the 1980's. This time the storyline has been slightly altered somewhat as the time period has been set back in the mid. 19th century rather than the early 20th century, and greater emphasis has been placed on the revolutionary aspects of the story. All the actors wre wonderful in both series, although, in Amor Real, I have to give special notice to the role played by Ivan Mario(just forgot his last name). The storyline changes have given it more dramatic impact. Mauricio Islas gave a wonderfully nuanced performance as Adolfo, unable to forget his first and greatest love Matilda, yet so loving and gentle with his dying young wife who was won a place in his heart with her courage and unselfish love for him. I found it romantically fitting that, at the moment of death. he saw his late wife waiting for him to join her. Poor Fernando Colunga had the hardest role keeping Manuel heroic despite the character's stupid jealousies and cruel actions. Adela Noriega was both beautiful and poignant in her role as Matilde. Chantel Andere also managed to make her character;s occasionally villanious behavior to be the result of circumstances rather than an evil nature. It's rare that Miss Andere is allowed to show vunerability and become redeemed in a telenovela. She usually dies a grisly death! I highly recommend this telenovela, and also urge you to see the original with Christian Bach if they ever rebroadcast it. Bodas de Odio lacks the technical advances used today, but the acting is superb!

Amor Real, the new soap opera of the praised executive producer Carla Estrada results in a visual delight.

In barely 3 weeks at air with 12 episodes transmitted, the history has been presented and night after night maintains us touched to see the story of Matilde and Manuel.

More as every soap opera of epoch of Televisa, the put in scene enjoys of an excellent design of production, wardrobe and direction of art.

The locations are glorious, the soundtrack is very good, especially that cancion interpreted by Sin Bandera. The story lacks of narrative depth, not stops being the always Mexican television fairytale.

But Fernando Colunga has been at the height of the expectations, equal Chantal Andere in her role of Victoria and Ernesto Laguardia as a kind of caricature villan, Humberto. While Adela Noriega began in a very well performance, since Fuentes Guerra avoided her that ran away of the wedding and carried to his country house has been pure tears and frankly this actress itself is overreacted.

Good history, I think that it can be better. As it is noted when the people want to do well the things.

Having recently read Isabel Allende's books about rich powerful families in Latin America, the story attracted me. From the very beginning it kept me captivated. I have even contemplated calling in sick on days I have to work when it's on. Everything seems historically accurate and I am amazed by the amount of detail that was put into this production. It requires a certain level of intelligence to understand some of it. Being that at times they have dialogue in English and French. My family was wondering why French was used so much. The Spanish used in it, it's very nice and slow. It makes it easy to follow, especially for those of us Hispanics born and raise in the US. I'm always having to ask my parents the meaning to different words, this time the roles have been reversed. This novela indeed has a lot of class.