Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

jotix100 The lives of ordinary Cuban citizens living in a poor neighborhood of Havana are examined. The daily struggle for survival of these people caught in one of the poorest countries of the hemisphere takes center stage in Humberto Solas' ambitious tale of life in contemporary Cuba. In fact, one wonders how could the director get away with some of his critical views of what is really happening. Like Fernando Perez's in "Suite Havana", this film takes a hard look at what it is like to live in today's Cuba.The film starts as a woman is taking a bath using a can to rinse herself. This neighborhood of Havana obviously lacks running water. The feeling of the place is much like a 'favela', or marginal slum, devoid of any material comforts. The one thing in common is that everyone is poor. The only exception is Chino's family who might be considered middle class, in comparison with the others in the film.Their meager access to food is made clear. Some enterprising individuals resort to stealing from the government whatever they can barter for something they, or someone else will need to make a swap. This is the case with the family that has nothing but rice and beans to eat, and suddenly someone brings a big piece of meat from one of the places only reserved for hard currency payment, or for tourists. Corruption seems to be everywhere, in spite of the propaganda. Necessity creates this type of mentality when there is nothing else around, not even hope. The narrative interlaces several individuals that don't necessarily know one another. It is a favorite technique employed with success by the Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inurritu and others. Mr. Sola, the director tried to encompass a lot of wrongs he saw in a political and social system, that, like all totalitarian regimes, doesn't seem to work. Thus, the only escape from their humdrum existence is leaving the country. Humberto Solas, who died not too long ago, enjoyed his success in the Cuban cinema, notably for "Lucia" the film that propelled him into the recognition he deserved.

pattyayers-1 I couldn't take my eyes off of this amazing movie. The acting was incredible; many times I forgot that it was acting at all, which is what I'm always hoping for, and hardly ever get. The situations were very gut-wrenchingly real, and no one had to explain the political situation to me for me to understand that poverty, hard work, family, sex and music define and shape the lives of these people. I don't know much about "production values", but honestly, who gives a ****? These actors out-did almost every Hollywood movie I've ever seen, and the stories were very poignantly told. People who "laugh embarrassedly" at the emotions displayed by the characters are probably numbed by their over-privileged American lives and unaware that in some other cultures, passionate emotions are much more commonly felt and seen. I woke up this morning still thinking about the characters.

mediatext Of all the Cuban movies than I have seen, this is by far the worst of all (and believe me, I have suffered many a bad one). Production values are so incredibly poor that you realize that the concept "cine pobre" that the director subscribes is just an excuse for an extreme lack of talent. From the content point of view, this movie also --like other Cuban productions-- asserts, in veiled but irrefutable ways, that Cubans, not Castro's revolution, are the culprits for the island terrible situation. Also, acting is very amateurish and the cinematography very old style. It's boring, repetitive, dogmatic, clichéd, and very, very passé (looks like a bad Brazilian movie from the 60's.)Don't waste your time or money on this abysmal and politically biased production.

tomohara We saw this film at April's Reel World Film Festival in Toronto having visited Havana in mid-March. Three unconnected stories of universal challenges for several Havana barrio residents. Strong characters deal with loneliness, unrequited December-July love, and family's support needs; mother's death in delivery,father's flight and despair,grandma's device to bolster abandoned son's self-esteem;passionate married couple deal with conception and stillbirth, grandparent's expectations, brother's family's emigration to US. Great editing and photography. Several interesting bits contrasted our Cuban experience (Part of our stay was in an all-inclusive resort) - In film some characters disparage fellow Cubans for seeking the tourist's tips and another mourns his lost grocery store business. Some resentment or jealousy, some distress with change, but more generally, accommodation and acceptance.