Review of Havana (1990) by Tom K — 04 Sep 2011
This last of the seven pairings of director Sydney Pollack and favorite leading man Robert Redford is a curious bird. On the one hand, it's a bloated, overwritten melange of not-so-subtle influences from Hemingway to Casablanca.
On the other, it's a beautifully photographed, wonderfully acted film that tells the story of an aging card player (Redford) looking for the "big one" in Havana, Cuba as Castro's revolution reaches its peak.
Redford is unsurprisingly solid and looks terrific alongside stunning Lena Olin, in the role that completed her Hollywood transition after her debut to American audiences in The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
The film works best when it is just these two on screen. The love story works despite the whirlwind nature of it because these actors make us believe it. The Dominican Republic locations added texture to the photography and helped to sell the story, especially when Jack heads into the war-torn countryside in search of Roberta.
If memory serves, the film was largely panned on release for what it was trying to be, but I choose to give the kudos it deserves for what it is: a slightly high-calorie love story worth a look.
This review of Havana (1990) was written by Tom K on 04 Sep 2011.
Havana has generally received mixed reviews.
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