15/20
In the timeless town of Macondo, seven generations of the Buendía family navigate love, oblivion, and the inevitability of their past and destiny. This is Netflix’s most expensive Latin American project to date, with Colombian groups and indigenous communities building the sets and props for the series. 100 Years of Solitude is one of the pinnacles of Spanish-language literature. Its style is unparalleled, and its scope is beyond imagination. Its characters are so well-drawn that any screenwriter would have no trouble translating it to the screen. But the seemingly insurmountable problem in adapting the novel was its length. Compressing a hundred years of family and national history was an impossible task. Nearly 60 years after its publication, the novel has found a cinematic home on Netflix. Only streaming can do it justice, and the first 2 episodes are very promising. Excellent photography, artistic direction, and respect for the characters. The voiceover is necessary to allow García Márquez’s wonderful prose to emerge from time to time. The plot unfolds smoothly with richness and depth. I love it and was a bit skeptical about the possibility of bringing the magical world of GGM to the screen. Wall, so far I think it’s been a success. “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is one of the biggest TV and streaming releases this month. Check out our December calendar to find out more!