"Cuba" is a film which in some ways bears a similarity to "Casablanca". But it's different enough that it's clearly not a remake...and probably not even a reworking of the film. Instead, it's different enough to make it somewhat original...though I found several of the characters confusing and poorly realized.
The story is set in the days before the successful revolution of Castro in Cuba. The supporters of Batista and the current government seem clueless that their country is about to fall...as are several foreigners who are there on business. The main foreigner in the story is Robert Dapes (Sean Connery), a mercenary hired by the government to help them defeat the revolutionaries. Unfortunately, it's a case of too little too late and soon Dapes realizes that the country is about to revert into chaos. Also unfortunate is that Dapes meets up with a woman he once loved...and she seems more than willing to throw her life away for no particular reason.
The idea of making a film about the Cuban revolution is interesting. I liked this part of the film, though I do think the story made EVERYONE in the federal government look like total buffoons...and I cannot imagine all of them being this stupid. However, the romance is a mess and ruins the film. Connery is okay as Dapes, but his lady love (played by Brooke Adams) just doesn't make sense at all. Her motivations are confusing, she seems incredibly angry one minute and frisky and ready for action with Dapes the next. To me, her character just seemed incomplete. As for her husband, he was NOT anything like the husband in "Casablanca". Instead of a noble leader of men, this husband is essentially trash...and you have no idea whatsoever what Adams' character sees in him. None. A couple poorly written characters who are main characters is deadly for a film...and thus my score of 5. Sadly, with a tiny bit of re-writing this could have been a terrific film. Connery is fine in it and much of the story is interesting. But badly written characters sink this to a level of mediocrity that is just a shame.
By the way, why is it that many of the main Cuban characters were played by non-Hispanic actors? This is bizarre. Also, if you think about it, the relationship between Dapes and his lady love during WWII was REALLY creepy and inappropriate, though folks back in 1979 did have different sensibilities.
The story is set in the days before the successful revolution of Castro in Cuba. The supporters of Batista and the current government seem clueless that their country is about to fall...as are several foreigners who are there on business. The main foreigner in the story is Robert Dapes (Sean Connery), a mercenary hired by the government to help them defeat the revolutionaries. Unfortunately, it's a case of too little too late and soon Dapes realizes that the country is about to revert into chaos. Also unfortunate is that Dapes meets up with a woman he once loved...and she seems more than willing to throw her life away for no particular reason.
The idea of making a film about the Cuban revolution is interesting. I liked this part of the film, though I do think the story made EVERYONE in the federal government look like total buffoons...and I cannot imagine all of them being this stupid. However, the romance is a mess and ruins the film. Connery is okay as Dapes, but his lady love (played by Brooke Adams) just doesn't make sense at all. Her motivations are confusing, she seems incredibly angry one minute and frisky and ready for action with Dapes the next. To me, her character just seemed incomplete. As for her husband, he was NOT anything like the husband in "Casablanca". Instead of a noble leader of men, this husband is essentially trash...and you have no idea whatsoever what Adams' character sees in him. None. A couple poorly written characters who are main characters is deadly for a film...and thus my score of 5. Sadly, with a tiny bit of re-writing this could have been a terrific film. Connery is fine in it and much of the story is interesting. But badly written characters sink this to a level of mediocrity that is just a shame.
By the way, why is it that many of the main Cuban characters were played by non-Hispanic actors? This is bizarre. Also, if you think about it, the relationship between Dapes and his lady love during WWII was REALLY creepy and inappropriate, though folks back in 1979 did have different sensibilities.