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      Havana

      R Released Dec 12, 1990 2 hr. 25 min. Romance List
      27% 26 Reviews Tomatometer 57% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score Jack Weil (Robert Redford), a professional gambler, enjoys the hedonistic lifestyle of Batista's Cuba, where he is organizing a crucial poker game that could make or break him. He meets seductive Bobby Duran (Lena Olin) and is surprised that she, a wealthy woman, is aiding Fidel Castro and his communist rebels. Apolitical Jack doesn't usually take sides, but after Bobby and her husband, Arturo (Raul Julia), are arrested, he contemplates risking everything to help their cause. Read More Read Less
      Havana

      What to Know

      Critics Consensus

      Handsomely produced and dramatically inert, Havana squanders its convincing recreation of pre-revolution Cuba by using it as a disconnected backdrop to a turgid romance.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Bob M One of the most enjoyable movies I have ever seen. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/31/23 Full Review red t Super Disappointed that how underwhelming and not good this is. The acting is actually one of the only consistent things with this. It's good throughout with solid chemistry between the two leads with Redford being the best thing in this. He is consistently good. In addition, the Cinematography is well done also with well framed shots and nice sets and locations. And that sums up this films main problem really well, every scene is well shot and well acted but the problem is when you start putting it together it doesn't form a strong cohesive story. The editing is Bad in this because it loses focus by a huge amount in the middle. Is this Jack's Story about his gambling? Is it about the Civil War? Havana? The Love Interest? This film never is able to strike a consistent tone. And that leads to really bad pacing. This film NEVER builds any tension or emotional investment despite the good acting because it never forms a cohesive story because of the lack of focus and just moves at a SUPER slow pace because its bloated with too many scenes and just sort of ends. I expected a lot of action with the fall of the regime but it just ended. If this would've had a significant amount of scenes cut and had more action instead of slow expose love scenes than this could have been significantly better because the plot isn't flawed it's just really lacking any focus and pacing. Skip This It's Not Good. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review andrea m The setup is good and it carries the interest until it is not enough. The whole romance is half-assed: one woman forgetting overnight his late husband, one man forsaking his egocentric lifestyle for the husband of his crush. The film outstretches so much to justify these unlikely events, and to me it just fails. It would have been enough to add "I have just found out that" to the line "your husband is alive" and the dilemma could have been much more interesting to solve, instead of the easy way out with a slap. Incidentally, I was also awaiting Michael Corleone to show up in that casino any minute. Oh, I almost forgot. This movie is about a gambler who easily manipulates the ruthless CIA and the bloody Cuban regime because of the aforementioned half-assed crush, and proceeds to walk out of it. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Always been one of my favorite movies. While Redford was admittedly advanced for the part, his grizzled, worn and weary vibe still fit the aims and ambitions of the character, Jack Weil. Taking place in a time and era very much in flux, I thought the movie did an amazing job balancing the political and social intrigue of the time with the romance at the heart of the movie. While the world shifts under their feet, following devastating events for Bobby and opposing Weil's ultimate goal at untold riches, their undeniable attraction provides them a glimpse to something greater than they'd ever considered before. Somewhat of a history buff, I believe we can legitimately look back at these last days of 1959 in Cuba as a lynchpin for everything that followed, starting when Castro scared President Batista off on his plane, changing history forever. In the end, these are two people finding themselves in the middle of something so much bigger than themselves, and this movie allows you to follow their story as they make their way through it. Many say this is simply a rip-off of Bogart and Bergman's Casablanca. If that's the standard the film has been raised to, well, they can take that as the ultimate compliment. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review steve d Boring and unromantic. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford. The critical reviews are hogwash. Great show. Doesn't pander to the inexperienced. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Havana

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      Critics Reviews

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      Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Angie Errigo Empire Magazine The central pair's shattering, once-in-a-lifetime passion cries out for more urgency and emotional power. Rated: 3/5 May 26, 2008 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Elaborate visual mounting and iconographic placement of the romantic leads are the movie's preoccupation, with the overthrow of Batista merely providing local color. May 26, 2008 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) This is simply an overwhelmingly dumb and boring. [Full review in Spanish] Nov 24, 2022 Full Review Film4 Staff Film4 Handsomely produced, with a typically mesmerizing performance by Redford, alas this fails to exploit its intriguing political background and ends up being more of a routine and ineffective romance. May 26, 2008 Full Review TV Guide Unfortunately, against that impressive backdrop, Pollack mounts a film that is lifeless and slow-moving, offering neither a compelling love story nor a tense tale of a city in turmoil. Rated: 2/4 May 26, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Jack Weil (Robert Redford), a professional gambler, enjoys the hedonistic lifestyle of Batista's Cuba, where he is organizing a crucial poker game that could make or break him. He meets seductive Bobby Duran (Lena Olin) and is surprised that she, a wealthy woman, is aiding Fidel Castro and his communist rebels. Apolitical Jack doesn't usually take sides, but after Bobby and her husband, Arturo (Raul Julia), are arrested, he contemplates risking everything to help their cause.
      Director
      Sydney Pollack
      Distributor
      Universal Pictures
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Romance
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 12, 1990, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Sep 1, 2019
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $8.8M
      Sound Mix
      Surround