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★★☆☆☆
4 July 2012
This article is a review of 7 DAYS IN HAVANA. |
“You know Hemingway used to live very near here.”
Cuba-set cinema is currently very à la mode:
THE RUM DIARIES
CHICO & RITA
CHE: PART ONE
SONS OF CUBA
JUAN OF THE DEAD
MIAMI VICE
A lot right? And varied in terms of genre. Now 7 DAYS IN HAVANA brings together six directors of note, and the seventh leaping from acting to helming, Benicio Del Toro. I was very excited about this project, especially because a certain Gaspar Noé was getting behind the camera again – too rare in my book. However, portmanteau films naturally contain a mixed-bag of quality; think: PARIS, JE T’AIME, ARIA and FOUR ROOMS. Unfortunately, 7 DAYS IN HAVANA is one of the worst examples that I’ve sampled. Only the master, Noé, has a piece that stands out. The rest is pretty forgettable.
Cuba-set cinema is currently very à la mode:
THE RUM DIARIES
CHICO & RITA
CHE: PART ONE
SONS OF CUBA
JUAN OF THE DEAD
MIAMI VICE
A lot right? And varied in terms of genre. Now 7 DAYS IN HAVANA brings together six directors of note, and the seventh leaping from acting to helming, Benicio Del Toro. I was very excited about this project, especially because a certain Gaspar Noé was getting behind the camera again – too rare in my book. However, portmanteau films naturally contain a mixed-bag of quality; think: PARIS, JE T’AIME, ARIA and FOUR ROOMS. Unfortunately, 7 DAYS IN HAVANA is one of the worst examples that I’ve sampled. Only the master, Noé, has a piece that stands out. The rest is pretty forgettable.
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Each director is given a day of the week to tell a story. Occasionally characters overlap. While thankfully not a hagiography of the city/country, or a travelogue, the focus on the intimate is welcome. So an avoidance of cliché on one side, and a dearth of original thoughts on the other, make for something somewhere in between: sometimes engaging but mostly a bit so-what.
Del Toro has a horny young American actor, Teddy (Josh Hutcherson), looking to score while in town. On Tuesday we have actor-director Emir Kusturica playing a jaded director, drunk and ungracious, spurning his hosts who have invited him to receive an award at a festival. Wednesday is about a singer torn between two men and leaving/staying, career/love. Yawn. Thursday is even more tedious. Repetition, absurdity, a guy walking around. Friday Noé engages us with a disturbing adolescent story. There is a similar soundtrack drone to IRREVERSIBLE, but replaces the virtuoso camera-work of ENTER THE VOID with a pared back intensity. Saturday has a woman juggling an impressive amount of hats. Sunday ends with a celebration of community. It would have been a lovely conclusion, had there been more engrossing content.
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