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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great showcase for Diego Luna, February 27, 2004
17-year old Katey (Romola Garai) and her wealthy family have moved to Havana in 1958 and are living in a first-class hotel. Katey accidentally causes a young Cuban waiter (Diego Luna) to lose his job; there is a mutual attraction, and they share a love of dancing. They prepare for the big Latin dance contest, but Castro's revolution is about to change everything.
Diego Luna, who was so charming in Y Tu Mama Tambien, gets five stars from me. Here he is sweet and very likeable, a terrific dancer, and oozes teenage appeal. Co-star Romola Garai is fine, too, and the Cuban music and dance scenes are appropriately steamy. The script and the photography earn three stars, however. The story tries to balance youthful flirtation with the serious theme of political revolution. Two movies could have been made, but one seems unconnected and somewhat shallow. The whole movie was filmed in very dim lighting, even in sunlight, giving it a B-movie look.
But Havana Nights is a pleasant movie with an appealing star, and I recommend it to those who like Cuban music, dancing, and teen romance.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than The Original, August 4, 2004
I didn't think I would like this one better than the original. The original is a classic-- the perfect 80s movie, but the new one is so much more sensual and emotional. My only complaint is that it ended much too quickly, without much closure for the audience, but otherwise this film is a joy to watch.
Katie (Romola Garai) has just moved to pre-revolution Cuba. She's a total bookworm, but when she meets hotel waiter Javier (the marvelous Diego Luna) she's completely swept away. The basic story follows that of the original-- she doesn't know how to "feel" the music, her parents dissaprove of the guy she likes, preferring her to date the guy she hates.
The cinematography is impressive, and the colors are amazing-- lots of reds and oranges. It's so picturesque. The performances were great, the dancing was wonderful (although I don't think the dancing was necessarily dirty, it was much more beautiful and sensual than the dancing in the original). I really like that Patrick Swayze makes an appearance as a dance instructor. His limited screen time is awesome.
Definitely check this one out. If your a fan of the original, don't snub this one, you may like it better. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What this movie loses in plot it makes up in dancing, February 28, 2004
By A Customer
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights is the story of a young woman's discoveries about life and love in Havana during the Cuban revolution. The plot is well-worn and predictable, but Diego Luna and Romola Garai do a great job as Javier and Katey. The dancing is part of what drew me to this film...and I wasn't disappointed. The dancing is exciting and crowd-pleasing. It seems hard to believe that Luna and Garai had no dancing training prior to the film. Corny duologue down-graded some of the most meaningful or intimate scenes of the movie, and these parts of the film would have been better if the characters had not spoken at all instead of delivering cliqued lines. Overall, though, the film was enjoyable and fun. Two thumbs up!
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