Review of Chico & Rita (2010) by Jon T — 13 Oct 2012

Now this is the sort of film that one wouldn't expect to see Disney make any day. CHICO AND RITA, rich with colors and meticulously detailed animation, is a bittersweet star-crossed love story between a talented pianist/composer and a similarly gifted singer.

Note the emphasis on the word "bittersweet", because this love story is not something you would see from the likes of SNOW WHITE. It involves adultery, breakups, misery, and plenty of heartache -- you can tell that, for all the times these two are fated to cross, something terrible will happen to them that will doom their relationship.

But there is more to CHICO AND RITA than its love story. As mentioned, the film is a visual feast for the eyes; the backgrounds are drawn with intricate detail (courtesy of Javier Mariscal), but more importantly, this is a nostalgic trip through history.

A trip, in fact, through the era of Cuban music in the 1940s -- and there is plenty of catchy, ravishing, jazzy music that underscores nearly every scene. It's a very fitting accompaniment to this rare treasure of an animated film.

Although the film is not rated, this is in no way a kid's movie; there are scenes of (tasteful) nudity and suggestiveness that would clearly push CHICO AND RITA into "R" territory. But that is no negative; it is refreshing to have an "adult" animated feature that relies on character drama and interaction without the need to resort to shock value content.