To Peter Howell of the Toronto Star, "This novel of unrequited love in pre-World War II Columbia is considered one of the 20th century's greatest works of literature. It is widely adored and Oprah-endorsed as a sterling example of devotion, being the tale of how Florentino (Javier Bardem) waits 50 years, nine months and four days for a chance to act upon his undying affection for childhood sweetheart Fermina Daza (Giovanna Mezzogiorno). As a movie, however, 'Love' stumbles over a different set of numbers. In shrinking from a 348-page novel to a 138-minute film, a great deal of charm, wit and insight is lost to clumsy literal translation. The direction by Mike Newell and the screenplay by Ronald Harwood unhappily condense Márquez's hypnotic prose into something a good deal less enthralling."

For Jack Mathews of the New York Daily News, "the film is mostly about romantic obsession and never-ending frustration - the latter of which may jibe with the audience's reaction." And Carrie Rickey of the Philadelphia Inquirer thought the film, "a visual feast that serves a tasty appetizer and a delectable, if bittersweet, dessert. But the many, many courses in between feel rushed and perfunctory. It's as though Newell and collaborators didn't want to omit a single ingredient from the beloved book but lacked time and money to fully prepare them."