Enjoyed this movie immensely--much more than I expected, seeing the (undeservedly) low score on IMDB. Actually, ever since Sean Connery passed away a few months ago at the age of 90, I wanted to watch as many of his movies as possible-so been on a Connery binge this summer. CUBA is one of the gems I discovered as a result--I used to live in Miami and know somewhat more about the Cuba-Miami link than the average viewer, but the movie never gets tedious and you don't need any background knowledge to appreciate it.
CUBA is about how a bunch of non-Cubans--Americans and Europeans, Sean Connery's British mercenary Bob among them--assemble in Havana and interact with the locals in the midst of the political tussle between Batista and Fidel C in the late 50s. In the mix are Cubans of various social classes: a cigar factory owner-couple, Alexandra (Brooke Adams) and her sleazy husband who routinely sleeps with factory employees; a prostitute recruited to entertain an American businessman (Larry); and a student revolutionary out to get Connery's Bob character.
Each of these characters has distinct motivations that feel true to life and to the dysfunctional but weirdly logical society that is Cuba. Cuba is a land of paradoxes but above all Cubans are incredibly proud of their country--Alexandra and Bob were lovers when she was a teen, and now fifteen years later she tells him after they sleep together that she could never leave Cuba. Bob finds this unbelievable--how could someone love the modern, worldly life and yet be loyal with all their heart to a country falling apart at the seams? For Alexandra though, Cuba is home--she's my favorite character in the movie--and her in-betweenness, modern yet traditional fits with the many Cuban-Americans I've known in Miami.
All other characters play their parts well too, and are amusing, entertaining, engaging--including the biggest character in the movie: the landscape suggestive of Cuba. Notably, this was filmed in Spain: but the atmosphere created therein was incredibly convincing, at least to non-Cubans such as myself. If I were Cuban I might well find this substitution of Spain for Cuba almost unacceptable: but there was no other recourse as Cuba at the time of this film was closed to the outside world.
Another potential deal-breaker for locals: the way Cuba and Cubans are portrayed in the film, which is not very flattering. I'm sorry but it still rings true to me--the movie shows how people and things actually are as opposed how we'd like them to be. For example, corrupt Cuban cops and Americans fat and flush with cash only seem real to me. Add to that little glimpses of local life such as a blender spewing juice all over might seem over-the-top--unless you've lived or spent significant time in the third-world like I have--then you'll know this movie paints an honest portrait of place.
CUBA is about how a bunch of non-Cubans--Americans and Europeans, Sean Connery's British mercenary Bob among them--assemble in Havana and interact with the locals in the midst of the political tussle between Batista and Fidel C in the late 50s. In the mix are Cubans of various social classes: a cigar factory owner-couple, Alexandra (Brooke Adams) and her sleazy husband who routinely sleeps with factory employees; a prostitute recruited to entertain an American businessman (Larry); and a student revolutionary out to get Connery's Bob character.
Each of these characters has distinct motivations that feel true to life and to the dysfunctional but weirdly logical society that is Cuba. Cuba is a land of paradoxes but above all Cubans are incredibly proud of their country--Alexandra and Bob were lovers when she was a teen, and now fifteen years later she tells him after they sleep together that she could never leave Cuba. Bob finds this unbelievable--how could someone love the modern, worldly life and yet be loyal with all their heart to a country falling apart at the seams? For Alexandra though, Cuba is home--she's my favorite character in the movie--and her in-betweenness, modern yet traditional fits with the many Cuban-Americans I've known in Miami.
All other characters play their parts well too, and are amusing, entertaining, engaging--including the biggest character in the movie: the landscape suggestive of Cuba. Notably, this was filmed in Spain: but the atmosphere created therein was incredibly convincing, at least to non-Cubans such as myself. If I were Cuban I might well find this substitution of Spain for Cuba almost unacceptable: but there was no other recourse as Cuba at the time of this film was closed to the outside world.
Another potential deal-breaker for locals: the way Cuba and Cubans are portrayed in the film, which is not very flattering. I'm sorry but it still rings true to me--the movie shows how people and things actually are as opposed how we'd like them to be. For example, corrupt Cuban cops and Americans fat and flush with cash only seem real to me. Add to that little glimpses of local life such as a blender spewing juice all over might seem over-the-top--unless you've lived or spent significant time in the third-world like I have--then you'll know this movie paints an honest portrait of place.