Havana - Robert Redford, Sydney Pollack [DVD] [1990]

The setting is late December 1958. In the decadent, brash, glitzy ‘sin city’ that is downtown Havana the casinos are awash with American gamblers and revellers, partying with carefree abandon, and seemingly oblivious to the harsh reality that Batista’s regime is about to collapse, and the Cuban revolutionaries under Castro and Guevara are only days away from entering the capital.Into this impending maelstrom comes Jack Weil (Robert Redford), a carefree , middle-aged professional poker player, intent on making a killing in a high stakes game. A chance meeting however with the beautiful, idealistic (and much younger) Bobby Duran ( Lena Olin), wife of a Cuban aristocrat (Raul Julia) sympathetic to the revolution, on the ferry boat over from Miami, and a casual offer to help her smuggle some military radio equipment through immigration, will change his life forever. “Were you waiting for me?” she asks at one point. “All of my life”, he replies.And so the scene is set for a perhaps unlikely love story played out against the events surrounding the fall of Havana. There are shades of ‘Casablanca’, and had the picture actually been made back in the 1950s, rather than 1990, it would have been a natural vehicle for William Holden, or even Frank Sinatra.Certainly the film seems to have been under development for a number of years, with Jack Nicholson and Jane Fonda originally intended for the lead roles. Sonia Braga and Sharon Stone were also considered for the part of Bobby, and Nick Nolte turned down Jack Weil’s role. Ultimately it would become Redford’s 7th and last collaboration with Director Sydney Pollack.Pollack had wanted to film in Cuba, but the US Government would not allow any money to be spent there, so the estimated $40 million budget went to Santo Domingo instead, where a lavish re-creation of a Havana street was built on an air force base.But despite the big budget, a strong cast and a good story the film was not a success at the box office, something Pollack found difficult to explain. Some critics have argued that the ‘chemistry’ was not right between Redford and Olin, others that it just wasn’t in the same league as Bogart and Bergman’.Whatever. It is still well worth watching, and stands comparison with the other Pollack/Redford joint projects.And for film buffs, there is one small scene between Redford and Richard Farnsworth, who had spent most of his film career in stunts or as a bit player, before delivering an Oscar nominated performance at age 79 years in ‘The Straight Story’ (1999).

I'm a Robert Redford fan but for me this is not one of his best films. I don't find the relationship between him and the leading actress believable and it seems to lack chemistry. I would prefer to see more of the history linked to this precise period. Nevertheless it is entertaining.

good film

This is a classic Robert Redford performance alongside the beautiful Lena Olin. Great older films like this are rarely shown on mainstream film channels like Sky Cinema which tend to have a small catalogue and just repeat them. It was available to rent on Amazon Prime, by far the best film channel, but the DVD wasn’t significantly more to buy from Amazon.

curiously mixed reviews, I thought it terrific, v moody and atmospheric despite having to be made in the Dominican Republic. One of those films that gets even better on repeated viewings. One or two have commented on lack of chemistry between the lead and lack of emotion from Redford but I disagree. Redford's entire character is the cool cat world class poker player who gives nothing away, watching him fight that as he falls for the girl is fascinating and great acting, as you would expect. All set during Xmas week 1958 and as such one of my favourite Xmas films

My brother and I watched this film, which neither of us could remember seeing before. This is the same Pollack/ Redford pairing who made Out of Africa. Havana is set in the week around New Year 1958, leading up to the successful communist takeover. The rebel activity provides a nervous backdrop to the events of the story, which focus on Redford's pro gambler, and Lena Olin, wife of a supporter of the revolution. We found that the film is paced well--unhurried, just right. And the music is fantastic.

Surprisingly good film set during the 1959 revolution in Cuba. Fans of "Casablanca" will recognize many of the scenes, particularly at the end of the film. Robert Redford and Lena Olin both give a good performance, but Raul Julia is underused.

Robert Redford is perfectly cast,Lena Olin is superb and an early performance by Raul Julia shows what a talent was lost when he died young.Alan Arkin,for once,doesn't overact,and Pollack's direction is spot onRecreates 1958 Havana sublimely with an excellent eye for detail and makes the case for both Batista and Castro,even-handedly,being less than complimentary to both.Not sure about the postctript with Redford wandering on a beach many years later.The torture scenes and The Mob are both treated without drifting into parody or becoming gratuitously nasty.