A film review: "Vientos de la Habana" [2016 Cuba, Spain]

Félix Viscarret's crime thriller, "Vientos de la Habana" [Eng. Title: Four Seasons in Havana: The Winds of Lent] is a feature-length spin-off of a TV mini series that was rather well received in Spain. Since I've neither seen the TV series nor read the novel from which the film's adapted, this one's
gonna be brief.

Set in Havana, the film begins with the murder of young school teacher Lissete (Mariam Hernández) in her apartment, and the arrival of detective Mario Conde (Jorge Perugorría) to investigate. A post-mortem indicates the presence of drugs, alcohol, and semen in Lissete's body. Conde sets out to piece together events leading up to the fateful night, which will reveal hitherto unknown facets of Lissete and her dealings with some of her colleagues and students.

Running parallel to the above storyline is Conde's own story. A recovering alcoholic, he meets Karina (Juana Acosta) - his neighbour's daughter and a city-based lawyer, and falls in love. They date for a while but Conde wants to take their relationship to the next level. His circle of loyal old friends will help Conde in different ways on both his endeavours...

Of late, I'd become addicted to Scandi and Belgian crime thrillers and felt the need for a 'healthy' change, and a passionate Latin crime thriller could just be the ticket. But the film cannot be called a traditional noire; yes there are elements of noire in it, but the plot is straightforward and the characters are far too well-rounded with barely any conflicts and rough edges. It can more honestly be described as a grey-noire. I did however love the cinematography and editing that authentically captures the sultry and faded-glory of Havana, and the casting were great too. Recommended Viewing!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Mariam Hernández, Pilar Mayo, and Juana Acosta
Mariam Hernández who plays school teacher Lissete is nude or partially nude in most of her scenes in the apartment. A nude Pilar Mayo is briefly seen in the bed of a crime boss. As Lissete, an ageless Juana Acosta appears nude in at least three scenes in the company of veteran Cuban actor and protagonist Jorge Perugorría.



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A review: "Una Noche" [2012 Cuba, USA, UK]

 

Lucy Mulloy has made a stirring directorial feature film début through the Cuban drama "Una Noche" [Eng. Title: One Night]. Set in Havana for the most part, it narrates events during a momentous day and night in the lives of three young people - Raúl, best friend Elio, and his twin sister Lila.

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Raúl (Dariel Arrechaga), an apprentice in the kitchen of a posh hotel, is a frustrated and angry young man - frustrated about his mother's terminal illness, and angry that there's little he could do to help her in a city that functions at its own pace and logic. During the course of the day, he'll end up being pursued by police for a crime that he wasn't responsible for. He believes the only option available is fleeing Cuba, that very night, and presses friend and co-worker Elio (Javier Núñez Florián) to help him build a raft out of materials they could rummage, to sail the ocean and hopefully reach Miami.

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Best friend since childhood, Elio is also secretly in love with Raúl and will do anything for him. Elio however has sister Lila (Anailín de la Rúa de la Torre) to think about - the one person in his otherwise dysfunctional family that he deeply cares for. After stealing food from the kitchen for Raúl's journey, he too will now have to consider joining his friend. When Lila discovers Elio's plans, she insists that they take her with them. All three, for different reasons, suddenly feel compelled to leave everything behind and venture on a perilous journey where their chances of survival, if any, are very slim...

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In realising the film's premise, Ms. Mulloy has managed to paint a vibrant portrait of Havana that few from outside get to see - of ordinary people and the youth - their enterprise, dreams, and frustrations. It is about a city and its people in the cusp of change, where practical necessities could no longer get in the way of their aspirations, and whose natural ingenuity is tested to the limit at every turn. The film's imaginative shot-selections and editing make their scenes burst into screen with raw nervous energy.

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To learn that none among the film's crew had worked on a full-length feature before was a revelation. Ms. Mulloy herself began this project as part of her thesis for film school at NYU - even if the idea to make a film about Havana had long been on her mind. From a short film, it evolved into a full-length feature, thanks also to a tutor and mentor no less than Spike Lee himself. Mr. Lee's influence (particularly his early work) is certainly noticeable in some scenes, but I believe she might have also been inspired by older films such as Soy Cuba. The film is however entirely original and it carries a sensibility all of her own. For those interested, here's an interview with a charming and very down-to-earth Ms. Mulloy, about the making of her film.

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Another feature of the film is its casting. In exclusively using non-actors, the director had taken a leaf from Italian Neorealism in preferring authenticity over professional performances to portray her characters - the three main actors fill the role more than adequately, and it was a joy listening to their accent with the distinct Cuban twang, even if that meant I having to rely on subtitles for the most part. Watching the film is like re-experiencing something fleeting, exotic and invigorating, like youth itself. It's a gem lovingly crafted with ingenuity and improvisation - it is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.com DVD Link [NTSC] | Amazon.com Instant Video

 

The Nudity: From a few.
Not often have I drawn a blank in identifying actors appearing nude in a film that's being reviewed - we have an exception here. Few characters are addressed by their names and all appearing nude are first-time actors - impossible to identify unless those involved come forward. However, there are at least four scenes that include brief nudity, and featured in one of them is an authentic and pretty transsexual.



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Marilyn Solaya & Mirta Ibarra in "Fresa y Chocolate" [1994, Cuba]

Tomás Gutiérrez Alea is Cuba's best known and most respected director, and although I've seen only three films of his to date, I shall start his filmography with one of his last, "Fresa y Chocolate" [Eng. Title: Strawberry and Chocolate], a comedy drama that among other things critiques the Cuban establishment's intolerance towards homosexuality.

Storyline:
Set in contemporary Havana, we are introduced to young David, a loyal communist and university student, in love with Vivian. But he'll soon learn about her opportunism when she dumps him and gets married to a much well-off man. One day, David is hit on by Diego, a slightly older, exuberant, and openly gay intellectual and activist. He cunningly convinces the heterosexual and suspicious David to accompany him to his flat with the pretext of handing over some photographs of him with another woman. When David mentions the incident to his party-worker friend, he's asked to get back in touch with Diego to gather information on any subversive activities he may be up to. He approaches Diego who has by now already fallen in love with him, and agrees to be his friend provided it is purely platonic and they never discuss sex, and Diego agrees. But before long, David will discover in Diego not only a true friend, but also a wider knowledge of the world, and more importantly, love...

One may call this an intellectual coming-of-age film - about growing up and learning to live by one's principles. It is also a film about friendship, unrequited love, and tolerance for people who have a different point of view, or sexual orientation - the title alludes to different tastes and preferences. The film's purpose is not to discover anything profound but merely hammer home the aforementioned message in the most straightforward way. In that, it succeeds emphatically. It is very approachable and should be seen by all as it is extremely genial, touching, and even quite funny at times, especially during the scenes in which Diego tries desperately to win David's heart. Diego is interestingly played by Jorge Perugorría - more widely known for his rather macho roles as in "Bámbola" and "Doña Bárbara", and David is played quite convincingly by Vladimr Cruz - he brings forth the right amount of naivety and bewilderment that his character goes through which makes him endearing. An ageing Tomás Gutiérrez Alea worked with his regular co-director Juan Carlos Tabío on this project again, and manages to prove that he could still deliver memorable films. Definitely also worthy of mention is the fabulous choice of music by José María Vitier that's positively enchanting. This may not be Alea's finest work even from whatever I've seen, but is nevertheless Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link

 

Compilation: Marilyn Solaya, Vladimir Cruz, and Mirta Ibarra
There is only brief nudity - the post is more of an excuse to write something about this Oscar-nominated film - Cuba's first, than showcase any impressive nude scenes.



Scene Guide:

• In this mildly amusing scene, David takes girlfriend Vivian to a seedy hotel for which he promptly gets ticked off. She complains that he only has sex in his mind, and David tries to assure her that he truly loves her, and in desperation swears that he'd henceforth have sex with her only after marriage, and that too at a luxury hotel (which unfortunately never happens). Vivian is played by a pretty Marilyn Solaya, and David by Vladimir Cruz. After hearing noises from the room next door, David couldn't resist peeking at the busy middle aged couple. Shame that the actress in this scene isn't included in the film credits.
• Diego, unable to bear looking at a forlorn David (after the married Vivian passes by to bid final farewell), asks his neighbour and friend Nancy to lift David's spirits. But the experienced Nancy has plans of her own and plays wisely to the extent that David ends up falling in love with her. Nancy is played by Mirta Ibarra.

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