Havana (1990)

When Havana was released in 1990, a lot of reviewers unfavorably compared it to Casablanca, and those comparisons (in addition to audience indifference) turned the film into a box-office disaster. It deserved a better fate, because, while this is certainly no masterpiece, it's an intelligent and lavishly produced film about a chapter of history--the final days of Cuba under the collapsing Batista regime--that remains largely unfamiliar to the American mainstream. It's a compelling political backdrop for the story of a high-stakes gambler (Robert Redford) who comes to Cuba seeking the big score in poker games, following his expectation that high rollers will bet wildly as the Cuban government crashes around their heads. In Havana, Redford meets the wife (Lena Olin) of a Communist revolutionary (Raul Julia) with ties to Fidel Castro, and their attraction becomes powerfully mutual after her husband is presumed killed by Cuban police. What follows, as Cuba falls and Redford's character is forced into a crisis of conscience, is a mini-epic love story with tragic overtones, handled with great skill (albeit lagging pace) by long-time Redford collaborator Sydney Pollack. True, it's not nearly as memorable as Casablanca, but this is a worthwhile film, especially if you're interested in the political upheavals in pre-Castro Cuba. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com essential video

a great movie

you know some people....if you can call them that have nothing better to do than being negative....this was a fine movie, redford as always is great and simple in his acting , a well done movie that captures the flavor of the time. and wonderful cinematagraphy. its not the worst ever said by the one post as you might see. a very good movie by all standared's. thank you May 14, 2008

A decent try but no cigar

For some reason no-one has ever managed to make a good film about the Cuban Revolution, with Hollywood often drawing in some of its biggest stars - usually in the hope of another Casablanca - and missing by a mile. Case in point: Havana, a disappointingly dull misfire from Sydney Pollack and Robert Redford that never catches fire for all the money on the screen. The night scenes are beautifully shot and the script makes half-hearted attempts to examine the moral contradictions in the last days of Battista's rule, but it's pretty uninvolving stuff not helped by the total lack of chemistry between Redford and Lena Olin. The few potentially good scenes never quite work and the compensations are largely cosmetic, although Alan Arkin and Richard Farnsworth offer reliable support and Terence Marsh's production design is superb. Not terrible, just not terribly good. Still, at least it's better than Cuba or Che.
November 27, 2007

Very, very good....

Funny how time changes things. When this movie was first released, I found it boring and impenetrable -- and, yes, a direct rip-off of 'Casablanca'. At the time, I compared it to 'Out of Africa', which I had considered the ultimate Pollack/Redford collaboration, and I wondered what had gone wrong with 'Havana'.

After several re-viewings, I have to admit it - I was wrong about 'Havana'. I now look upon 'Out of Africa' as slow and dull except for Meryl Streep's amazing, jaw-dropping performance, and Redford was horribly miscast in a role that should have required a British accent (and a British actor). As far as 'Havana' is concerned...this is an absorbing and compelling film about the last days of pre-Castro Cuba. The sets are marvellous and seem very realistic, and Robert Redford's performance as the loner poker shark Jack Weil may very well be the best of his career (he should have at least received a Best Actor nomination). Alan Arkin and Raul Julia also deliver solidly in supporting roles. As noted by several other reviewers, Lena Olin is the weak spot -- imagine what a strong female presence, like a Meryl Streep or a Diane Keaton or even a Charlotte Rampling, could have done with this characterization. The lack of real chemistry between Redford and Olin is very, very obvious and does drag down the overall quality of the film a bit. However, the story is compelling throughout -- especially to those interested in political history of the last fifty years -- and the ending ties up things quite nicely. 'Havana' may not be a timeless, great movie, but it is VERY well-done and deserves a reevaluation. It holds up today as one of the better films of the 1990's. Time has been good to it. November 6, 2006

Havana: Here's Looking at You, Kid

I picked up this movie for no other reason than it was listed in a fat bug-crusher paperback of a DVD/video guide as "Casablanca" transposed to revolutionary Cuba. Well who doesn't like "Casablanca," myself included? So for less than $10, I figured what's the harm if it sucks?

Well guess what-not only does it NOT suck, it's really a pretty dandy little movie, and part of the fun for me at least is teasing out all the "Casablanca" parallels strung throughout. While there's not exactly a Cuban Peter Lorre or Sydney Greenstreet on hand, so much of the source material is reflected here that classic movie fans will find plenty to enjoy.

To their credit, Redford and Lena Olin do NOT attempt at all to mimic Bogart/Bergman, and unlike Rick/Ilsa, Redford/Olin DON'T have the "we'll always have Paris" backstory. They meet and strike sparks on a ferryboat from Miami as Redford comes to the aid of the mysterious beauty Olin as she attempts to smuggle radios in for her fellow revolutionaries. Redford is immediately drawn to her despite his indifference to the political unrest roiling throughout the island. As Bogie put it, "I stick my neck out for nobody."

But the point is that love makes you a better person than you really are, and "Havana" strikes all those notes again with considerable style and visual flair. I suppose that 40+ boomers like myself must admit that it's nice to see actors well past the first blush of youth "hooking up;" this vicarious affirmation for our own never-vanished romantic daydreams is a GOOD thing, I say. Of course it never hurts to have Robert Redford standing in for you either, with Lena Olin ALWAYS more than credible as a woman who could inspire both the desire and abnegation the plot demands.

"Havana" is a gorgeous production as well, sumptuously photographed and staged, with the Dominican Republic convincingly set-dressed to capture the demimonde ambience of Batista Havana. Apart from admiration for the production, you DO take away a good sense of the affronted dignity the Cubans must have felt at having their homeland turned into a slovenly party-dump Disneyland for drunken Gringo Shriners and other ugly Americans out for a sleazy "good time" away from home. I know many would argue that the cure (Castro) was worse than the disease, but let's not get into that here.

Instead, just lay down your $10 and experience again the romance and passion of love rediscovered in a sultry climate in a time of upheaval and danger, where chasing the "big score" doesn't really add up to a hill of beans, and finding what REALLY matters requires you to let it go and feel the echo of that knowledge thunder through your life as you stand on the Florida shores and look South for the ship that will never come in... July 18, 2006

La Habana of yesterday

This is a good movie portraying the old Havana, similar to the movie "Cuba" (by Sean Connery)showing the casinos, gambling, corrupt officials, motorcycle gangs in leather attire smoking marijuana, kinky shows and of course my favorite, the prostitutes. I wish these days will return. Because I have been in similar places with all of the prostitutes in the world, except in my own country with my own kind. How horrible! February 1, 2006

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