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Highly Overrated But Still Good

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Lucy Mulloy's UNA NOCHE is exquisitely edited. There are maybe two or three clichéd shots, which stand out precisely because the film as a whole is so fluent and sure handed in its visual rhythms. It is, broadly speaking, divided into two sections, both as a film and as a story: the second, which centers on the life-changing night referred to in the title, and the first, which leads up to it. In the transition from the first to the second part, a stylistic shift occurs.The lead-up is narrated by Lila, the female protagonist, a teen-aged Cuban concerned about her brother, Elio, who is plotting to leave Havana for Miami on a rickety raft that he is constructing with his friend Raúl. His motives for leaving are more complex than it seems, but Lila only feels the impending loss that his parting would represent. She shadows him, and tracks down and tries to thwart his plan, and ultimately accompanies the two boys in their escape... READ MORE:http://osburnt.com/una-noche/

"Una noche" looks at the conditions in modern Cuba that have driven many citizens to flee the country. A common debate in the US is whether the conditions in Cuba are due more to the Castro brothers or to the US embargo/blockade*. This movie shows that whatever the case, the conditions there are pretty bad. As with the rest of Latin America, the tourists stay in fancy hotels but the hotel's employees don't get to share the tourists' experiences in the rest of the country. It turned out that the plot took on a real dimension when it premiered in the US: Javier Nuñez Florián and Anailín de la Rúa de la Torre both disappeared, reportedly defecting to the US. These things will probably continue as long as the embargo/blockade exists. Anyway, it's a really good movie.*The US calls it an embargo, Cuba calls it a blockade.

'Una Noche', is first time feature director Lucy Mulloy's take on modern day Cuba and its attendant contradictions. Mulloy is New York based but spent a good deal of time in Cuba, learning about its culture. In the first third of the film, before the main plot kicks in, we're introduced to Lila, a teenager living in Havana with her brother Elio and her parents.Lila serves as both narrator and 'observer' of the action. She is worried about her brother Elio, who has befriended the homophobic Raúl, who both work at a pantry. Elio has developed a secret crush on Raúl, who has dreams of escaping to Miami in order to make a better life for himself.Mulloy not only sets out to tell a story based on a real-life event, but also give us a feel for what Cuba is like today. The city of Havana appears to be full of run-down buildings and cars from the 1950s, still running on the street. Cuba is still a paternalistic culture, evidenced by its widespread disdain for gay people. We see that when a group of youths on bicycles taunt a gay kid walking on the street. Raúl's homophobia is also on constant display—in one particular memorable scene, he curses out a prostitute after he discovers she's a transsexual. Raúl also may be typical of the 'macho' type who treats women as sex objects. He's always coming on to Lila who will have none of it, and protects herself by taking Taekwondo lessons. Lila is also alienated when she follows her father and observes him making love to another woman.It takes a while but the plot gets in gear when Raúl purchases some medication on the black market for his AIDS-infected mother, who works as a prostitute. When he comes home to give her the medication, he finds her having sex with a tourist which enrages him. Raúl assaults the tourist and later we find out that he's wanted by the police since the tourist may actually end up dying (assaulting tourists appears to be a very serious offense, in economically depressed Cuba).Now Raúl must go the U.S. or else he'll end up rotting in a Cuban prison. Elio, reluctant earlier, now decides to go with Raúl to the U.S. Lila, the perennial observer, confronts Elio in front of Raúl, and begs him not to go with him. When she can't dissuade him, she agrees to help the guys with their makeshift raft. The superstitious Raúl insists on going to a woman who attempts to lift a potential curse the three may be facing, when they're adrift at sea.The last third of the movie and the dark moment of the second act is when Raúl, Lila and Elio attempt to make it to the U.S. on their flimsy raft. Neither the motor or GPS work, so they're relegated to paddling with tiny oars. I won't give away the ending but suffice it to say, things don't go well for the hapless trio.Dariel Arrechada steals the show as the rough and surly Raúl. The part of Lila (played by Anailin de la Rua de la Torre) is underdeveloped since her role appears mainly relegated to the part of the narrator. Javier Nuñez Florian does well as the less extroverted Elio, playing off nicely against the more aggressive Raúl. In a major real-life postscript to the film, both actors playing Lila and Elio, ended up defecting to the United States.Lucy Mulloy is an up and coming director to watch. She has a feel for both the camera and the actors she directs. Mulloy not only captures the troubled nature of Cuban society but also its incredible buoyancy. In her next feature, perhaps it might be a good idea to rely less on narration to move her story along. I have no doubt that Hollywood will be offering this talented director some higher budgeted jobs in the future.

Some of the most sought after tickets at Tribeca 2012 were for the triple award winning Una Noche. A number of additional screenings sold out quickly, but there were still long queues of people hopeful to get in.So did it deserve all the hype? I certainly think so. As a Brit who has lived in Cuba, I think Lucy Mulloy's film captured the best and the worst of Havana perfectly. Beautifully shot in well known landmarks, but also off the beat locations, the film reveals parts of the city not only unfilmed, but rarely accessed by outsiders before. As an energetic ride through one day and night in raw and gritty Havana, Una Noche captures the passion of its people, the despair in their lives, but also the love and laughter they share.The non-actors performances were stunning, their natural presence and ability to light up the screen justifies the long search Mulloy undertook in Cuban schools to find them. Dariel Arrechada and Javier Nunez Florian shared a much deserved best actor award, proving they are real stars in the making.Lucy Mulloy fell in love with Cuba ten years ago and this passion shines through the whole film. Based on a true story, ironically the film began a real life drama of it's own when Javier Nunez Florian and Anailin de la Rua de la Torre fled in Miami without even making it to New York for the premiere in a much publicised case of life imitating art. Their defection is another story in itself, what Una Noche does is presents a rare and insightful view of a closely guarded country where many people make the choice of taking to the treacherous ninety miles of water between it and America. The final act of the journey on a makeshift raft ties everything the film is about together so well, optimistic youth, base human instincts, loyalty vs. selfishness and escape from a claustrophobic life. Una Noche really captures the real heart of Cuba. Having lived there, I was transported back to Havana in a way I've never been since leaving.