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Visitors Review

tomboneill34 2012-05-25 01:41:23

film drowns in self-pity and narcissism

The long pauses that professional reviewers remarked on negatively aremajor clues to the self indulgence of the author and of Andy Garcia.Gone with the Wind got away with something along these lines, but TheLost City doesn't. Scarlett O'Hara was treated with balance enough tokeep her movie afloat. Garcia drowns his movie in bathos by being toouncritically admiring of Fico--whose only commitment seems to be to theprivileged lifestyle he enjoyed in the early parts of the film. Someeffort at making Fico an echo of Rick in Casablanca is attempted, butthe film has none of the tautness of Casablanca. More important, whereRick was able to let go of Paris for the sake of some more generouscommitment to the human future, Fico and Garcia seem unable to let goof anything. At the end Fico is babbling what sounds like a very poorparody of Kahlil Gibran at his most pretentious. By then, perhaps, hehas been infected by the babbling of the no-name Bill Murray characterwho has been inscrutably and mysteriously babbling throughout most ofthe film.

2012-05-24 11:37:56

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC

I ENJOYED THIS MOVIE ABOUT MY BOYFRIEND'S HOMELAND. THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND SCENERY ARE FANTASTIC! I LOVE ANDY GARCIA IN ANYTHING THAT HE DOES. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE THAT LIKES HISTORY WITH A LITTLE LOVE IN IT.

2012-05-13 23:26:20

Tells a gripping tale of Cuba during the Revolution.

Andy Garcia did a great job telling a compelling tale and placed agreat musical score with this epic. Although, there are those thatsomehow missed the Cuban uprising, the historical significance of theevent is captured magnificently in this film. The Latin music is worththe time alone and the acting is first rate from a cast that does notinclude many well-known stars except, Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray.The film is over two hours, but somehow does not seem to drag given thefact that there is some question where the movie is taking us with themain characters. Play special attention to the costume set and timeelements in the film. Everything was extremely authentic and wellmatched to the decades of the 50's and 60's.

2012-05-13 12:05:25

uneven, but worth a watch

I came to this movie late, and frankly, was anticipating more historical enlightenment from it. Living through that era, but at a distance, we were surrounded by propaganda from all sides, and the cynical soul sought out his own information. All that wealth and investment created a glamorous Cuba, no doubt about it, and one that deserves to be preserved for posterity, and even culture's sake. But the tyranny of such a top-heavy structure was bound to polarize the population, and revolution was inevitable. As we know now, countries at that level of development rarely spring fully formed into utopian democracy. Rather, it's common to exchange plutocratic dictators for those of a different sort. People oppressed for generations take time to open up and embrace civic awareness. To many, a proletarian dictatorship was undoubtedly preferable. I wanted to see some footage, or recreation of such, of how that all happened. Instead, The Lost City is an attractive and stylish work, with overtones of a musical. And is the music fabulous! If your toes don't tap to this one, you ain't got no rhythm. Beautifully shot, the cinematography was excellent, and Garcia's direction in this regard was exceptional. Other directorial decisions were less fortunate, such as film length and the occasional overglamorization of shots, thus leading to the charge of self-indulgence. Knowing that Garcia was arranging his own angles is at times cringe-worthy. The use of Murray and Hoffman has led to some interesting reviewer discussions. I can see why, but decided to be slightly more tolerant of those decisions. In the foreign film venue, these digressions are more common and accepted. They are archtypal symbols and (I think) were meant to give the script more dimensional depth on a personal level. How does one process the realization that when you leave one troubled community for what you think is a better world, corruption inevitably follows? It adds tension to the general tone of anticipation of relief in the new setting. In fact, it leads to a deeper discussion of whether our troubles are fundamentally internal and cannot be cast off like political baggage. So although I was a bit annoyed at the addition of the Hoffman character at first, I can also see why it was done. Murray's trickier . . . this kind of "Greek drama" form is surely not going to be universally appreciated by a contemporary audience. Again, I cut it some slack as an interesting complexity to be considered more fully later. I do think Garcia meant to use projective personifications to reflect internal personal struggles. The movie really is too long. There wasn't quite enough eloquence in the artistic pauses to justify that. I gave The Lost City 3 stars because the story described a slice of Cuban pre-revolutionary life that was a thin veneer for the real Cuba. Ordinarily, artistic parsing like that can be excused, but this historical situation was such a big deal, and affected so many people, that the echoes of omission resound in the film's lopsidedness. It's hard to ignore. And what another reviewer said was right: the rebel image was a rough, violent caricature. There was slight depth in the brother character. But the rebel energy in general was one-dimensional. It can only be taken, again, as an external projection for repressed internal anger of the protagonist. Otherwise, it lacks historical accuracy and fairness.Still, artistically and musically . . . The Lost City is worth a view.

forindcine 2012-05-11 06:45:44

Cuba just before Fidel

The Lost City is the magnificent brainchild of Andy Garcia whoproduced, directed and starred in this film set in Havana, Cuba duringthe late 50s. The corrupt Fulgencio Batista is in the last days of hisregime as once jailed Fidel Castro, with assistance from Ernesto "Che"Guevara, take hold of the city.Garcia is outstanding in the role of Fica Fillove, a business owner whostruggles to keep his club open even as his parents, siblings, friendsand everything he knows, grapples with the revolution. His film is lessof a political statement and more of the tragedy one well-to-do familyendured at a time of continued turmoil in Cuba. With more than 15-years in the making and somewhat of a tribute toGarcia's native Cuba, the film is carefully shot and encompasses thegreat music of that era. The brilliant sets places you in a time somany have heard about but only a few can still imagine. The Lost Cityis a tiny snapshot of Havana in what some may call its heyday. Thefilm's cinematography, excellent cast, and beautifully writtenscreenplay work wonders in placing you in a time and place which washard to imagine until now.

2012-05-10 08:34:14

my mother lived this.

this movie i got to say i was not looking forward to seeing, i thought for a twelve year old this is going to be really boring,i was wrong. this movie was really touching to me and my mother. and i didnt even see cuba but my mom did which i think is really sad because she cried a lot. she was telling me how this had happened to her with no notification she thought she was just going on aboat for a while she waved bye like if she was going to see them again sadly she didnt my grand paents didnt tell her she was never coming back.

2012-05-10 08:23:13

The Lost City = specifically Havana but also Cuba

This review is from: The Lost City (DVD) Garcia has ably portrayed the circumstances and events leading up to the communist takeover and effects on the people of Cuba. It should be a must see for every American, especially those who lean toward or espouse Marxism and tout it over capitalism. Capitalism affords freedom but is not perfect and only really works well when the people are Christian and following God's Word properly but communism is impossible because corrupt people get control and subjugate the masses through it. Anyone with insight into history can see all this in Mr. Garcia's heart-felt movie.

falcocom25 2012-05-09 18:14:13

Great, Excellent, Wow

This is Cuba, its music, its pain, its joy, its tears, its love and itshatred but this is Cuba. A lot of people are going to cry over thismovie and lot are going to open their eyes too. Hollywood should takenote of this movie and stop producing the crap they are doing now. Weneed movies with soul like this one. Thanks Andy!!! Viva Cuba Libre!!This is Cuba, its music, its pain, its joy, its tears, its love and itshatred but this is Cuba. A lot of people are going to cry over thismovie and lot are going to open their eyes too. Hollywood should takenote of this movie and stop producing the crap they are doing now. Weneed movies with soul like this one. Thanks Andy!!! Viva Cuba Libre!!

2012-05-07 06:04:06

The Lost City

This review is from: The Lost City (DVD) While this is a feature film, it shows a Cuba prior to Castro but during the Bastista Era and the daily struggles of a Cuban family. Set just prior to the American involvement in Cuba, the insights that lead up to the Cuban Revolution, and the painful decision to leave Cuba, show a family torn between the Cuba they know and long for, and the Cuba, Che, the United States and Castro will kill for, if opposed.

2012-05-06 23:05:08

A touching story told in beautiful music...

This review is from: The Lost City [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) Without judging its political aspect one way or the other, this is indeed a great movie. It has good lines, and solid acting. I especially enjoy its colorful photography, and the fantastic music! The Blu-ray transfer of both video and audio is super! Definitely a keeper.

Trevor Tooze 2012-05-05 14:58:37

Most Disappointing Film

I was looking forward to seeing this film, mainly because this is asubject that seems to have been avoided by film makers.I did not care which side of the political spectrum was portrayed, butwas expecting some entertainment, which at first was promising, butthen faded into a plot that was hard to follow, and got boring. To listDustin Hoffmann as a major character was wrong, considering hevirtually had but two cameo appearances in the whole movie, and BillMurray's character did not do anything for him to even enjoy being inthe credits.In all, it lacked everything that I would have expected from this cast.

arnoutmostert 2012-05-05 08:13:18

Unbelievable weak drivel

Watched this toe-curling poor movie only because I was too lazy toswitch it off. Poor and clichéd dialogue, predictable plots, musicsections that drag on and on: what a waste of great actors such as BillMurray and Dustin Hoffman. Ines Sastre is a beautiful model butcertainly not an actress. Why is she in this movie? Only thing goodabout the movie is that it seems to paint a realistic picture of theidiots who took over Cuba after the revolution ands the stupid policiesthey installed. Garcia should stick to acting and leave the directingto others. This is a waste of time. No wonder I never noticed it in thecinema...

2012-05-04 02:11:43

I know it was you, You broke my heart. You broke my heart."

Evocative, political with some gorgeous cinematography, obviously making The Lost City was a real labor of love for Cuban born actor Andy Garcia. Indeed, the movie has some great attributes - there's some quality dancing and the music score is notable, but the film while prosletising good intentions, frequently meanders, and is overly-long and it's as though Garcia's admirable intent seems to get lost in the execution. Regardless of The Lost City's shortcomings, you still have to admire Mr. Garcia as the movie comes from the heart, filled with an ardor that carries it through the wobblier passages. Garcia stars as Fico, a Havana nightclub owner anxiously watching the gathering revolutionary passion in his country. Fico is one of three sons of a Havana University professor (Tomas Milian), a man convinced that nothing will come of the political unrest. Fico's brothers (Enrique Murciano and Nestor Carbonell) on the other hand, are passionate about the revolution and believe that Batista's regime has reached the end of its days. Filled with fervor, they're more than willing to participate in the process using violence if necessary. Fico wants to chart the course of least resistance - after all he has a nightclub to run - but his brother's ant-establishment rants will not be quelled. The hothead Ricardo runs off to join Castro's swelling army, while Luis participates in a daring but ill-fated raid on Batista's presidential palace. The brothers' destinies are played out alongside real-life historical figures Castro, Batista and Che Guevara, all of whom are seen as vicious enemies of the right-thinking democracy lovers. There's also a love story between Fico and Aurora (Ines Sastre), a woman who is forced to choose between the revolutionaries and a life with Fico in the West. The movie has some fine performances - including rather puzzling cameos by playing the flood-pants-wearing Jewish mobster Meyer Lansky and Bill Murray, as an eccentric shorts wearing comedian, who becomes Fico's rock of support amongst all the political and social change. The Lost City is indeed strong and emotional and it tackles a difficult subject with ardor and enthusiasm, but the film falls far short of the sweep, complexity and passion it strives for. Maybe it is because Garcia is just so close to the material, so passionate about the story he's telling, that he's lost his artistic bearings. The movie devotes a lot of space to the flashy musical numbers and the plight of the rich, but it doesn't address the issue of all the poor and poverty stricken workers who were sick of Batista's tyrant-like hold on the country and who ended up feeding the fires of the revolution. In fact, the pacing is so lazy that after the big war scene where the armed revolutionaries invade the grand palace - and these scenes are good - there's still over sixty minutes to go, with Garcia padding out most of the last half of the film with the rather tepid love story. However, with all it's faults, The Lost City does do a good job of educating us on how this beautiful country has been ravaged and scarred, first by Batista and his terror squads, by Castro and his Communist insurgents, with their misjudged idealism and ignorance, and also by Lansky and the mob. Fico does indeed watch as his beloved Havana changes from a sophisticated, playboy paradise to a devastated and "lost" metropolis. Mr. Garcia's political leanings are quite obvious and he makes no secret of his one-sided hatred for Batista, Che and Castro, blaming them all equally for the corruption and pestilence that has ravaged his beloved country. It's just a pity that the actor sold out most of movie's far-reaching political concerns for a somewhat flat and two-dimensional love story, which consists mostly of montages of the lovers carefully photographed in scenic poses. Mike Leonard August 06.

2012-05-03 14:46:57

The Lost City

This review is from: The Lost City (DVD) Service was exceptional. Delivery was outstanding. Customer contact was very good. Movie is wonderful besides being very educational. Now I want to travel -- to Cuba. But then again, I have always wanted to! Historical research is my hobby and this is great for me.

grecianu 2012-05-02 14:47:58

Flawed but Remarkable

'The Lost City' is a deeply flawed movie.The characters are thin, the dialogue is often forced and some of thescenes are stereotypes (the assault on the palace, for instance).But, I definitely would recommend it for some scenes that are so closeto life, and so rarely seen in movies, as to make them remarkable.One of these scenes is the saxophone scene. That scene, more than anyother scene in modern cinema, summarizes what was wrong with communistregimes.To make a long story short, drawing from the stories told to me by myparents (I only lived for four years in communism myself, then therewas a revolution (of sorts) in my country), what really was wrong withcommunist times wasn't the repression. If you were careful and keptyour head down, you never had to deal with it.It wasn't even the corruption. You learned to get used to it, andsimply became cynical.It was the idiocy.You couldn't avoid it, you couldn't become jaded to it, you couldn'thelp be affected by it...It was the dumb slogans, the pointless - not even political -restrictions... the interdiction to play the saxophone...Because of dystopian tales, people imagine the horrible is what shocksin a dictatorship. It isn't. People who live in a dictatorship don'tspend their time and energy on politics... they worry about family,love, hobbies, etc...The horrible, the purges and the persecutions, are simply remote. Theidiocy (such as banning the saxophone), however, affects everyone andis what really bites.Small details like this show that this was based on the writings ofsomeone (Cabrera) who really knew what communism is like.Other remarkable and rarely-seen scenes would include the emigrationscene (true to life if ever it would be) or the scene right beforeemigration when Fico and his friends sit in their now closed barcelebrating Fico's departure.As for the politics, an ex-pat from a former communist country likemyself (albeit for economic rather than political reasons) is likely tobe unsympathetic to Castro and his cronies, but let me just say thatthere are plenty of movies that exalt the Cuban revolution, it's niceto see both sides of the debate.It is only fair, if Che can have 'The Motorcycle Diaries' to praisehim, for there to be 'The Lost City' to show another side of him.That 'The Lost City' is (AFAIK) the only movie made by a Cuban ex-patbased on the writings of a Cuban ex-pat about the Cuban revolutionspeaks volumes...P.S. About Bill Murray's character, I think he was CIA. Think about it,an American citizen comes in, stays long after his welcome would beworn out as far as the regime goes, and leaves only after his frienddoes (so he obviously didn't stay out of loyalty)...

2012-05-01 23:02:56

Visually Stunning Film! I give it Two Thumbs Way Up!

Andy Garcia's The Lost City is a feast for the senses. This film is pure art form. I'm glad Andy Garcia didn't compromise his standards. He waited sixteen years to make this movie so he could maintain artistic control over the film. It certainly shows. I was floored by the cinematography and amazing acoustics. The Afro-Cuban rhythms transported me back to the early years of my life in Havana. I loved the music and plan on buying both the film and the soundtrack. Luis, Fico's brother whose revolutionary alias was "Peligro," or Danger, reminds me a lot of my father. My father was just like Luis. He was a member of the upper middle class who dreamed of a democratic form of government for Cuba. My father fought against Batista's oppressive and brutal regime, just like Luis did. There were many times my Dad could've been killed by Batista's henchmen. I wouldn't be here writing this review if that had happened. At one point Dad had to leave the country. He was exiled in Venezuela in 1958, the year before Castro took over the island. Young idealists, like Dad, and Luis, made Fidel's rise to power a reality. However, most had no idea Castro would become a totalitarian dictator who would destroy the island of Cuba.The film's portrayal of what happened to Fico's family was right on the money. Many Cuban families were split apart during that turbulent period. Some families were politically divided, others were separated by the exile of family members who fled Fidel's regime. My family was no exception to this rule. The revolution made enemies of friends, and even family members. Fidel was, and continues to be, a dividing force for many Cubans on both sides of the Florida straits. I just finished watching the movie at 11:15PM and suddenly I have a hankering for a "media noche." For those of you not familiar with it, a "media noche" is a snack size petite Cuban sandwich named after midnight. I wish I could just slip into my red dress and go dancing in old Havana. Beny More and his Afro-Cuban band is a favorite of mine. What I'd give to have seen him perform live on the stage. Oh, how I wish I had a time machine to go back to that era! On a more serious note, I noticed another reviewer from Rhode Island evaluated the film on a political level. That individual said that "Fidel!" offers a more 'balanced' portrayal of Castro's Revolution and Batista's regime. If there is one film that is truly transparently propagandistically about Cuba, I'd say that "Fidel!" would definitely be 'it.' Needless to say that it is a pro-socialist-pro-communist documentary romanticizing one of history's most ignominious totalitarian dictators.I wonder if the reviewer has ever lived in Cuba, or if s/he is truly familiar with Cuba's history. Does this reviewer know that many members of the Cuban aristocracy financed Fidel's rise to power? Just as it was portrayed in The Lost City, some members of the upper class not only paid with their wealth but with the blood of their sons and daughters. Not all rich Cuban families owed their societal standing to Batista. Many wealthy Cuban families had been landowners since before Cuba gained independence from Spain. Batista had staged a military coup d'état in 1952, removing the prior elected leader, Carlos Prío. The brutalities committed under Batista's regime were real, but not nearly as horrific as the atrocities perpetrated against those who dared oppose Fidel Castro.

Alejandro 2012-04-26 13:55:25

So much truth with so little money!!

For the first time I see a movie about the reality of the so called cuban revolution that is true to the events that took place, despite the limited resources, Andy Garcia was able to discribe what really happened in a simple way, the music is great, can't wait for the soundtrack to become available, it took Andy 16 years to make it, big studios didn't find it "commercially viable", in a way it was better this way so there was not influence from Hollywood "history makers", I could see myself in the scene when Fico was leaving Cuba, only I was just 17 years old and the cuban watchdogs made me empty my pockets and used a metal detector to see if there was hidden jewelery, all of this behind a courtain so other passengers traveling in the same plane couldn't see the ways of the revolution, this movie is a must for Hollywood liberals, this is how movies are to be made, true to reality and without the influence of liberals agenda, it deserves an Oscar, Andy did an excellent job, I admire people like him with the will to make thing right, even if it takes a long time, we need more movies like this one and like Mel Gibson's,leave fantasy and fiction to Hollywood.Sincerely, ALex Munoz

Edward Dieguez Jr. M.D. 2012-04-25 23:12:34

Great film

I think the film is a great tribute to free Cuban/Americans. It reallyshows how the communist system divided families and divided our nativecountry and how they went about in turning it into a soviet outpost atthe doorsteps of the USA. It portrays the reality that many of us livedin those years. I think the film lets everybody know that the Cubanrevolution was not a revolt by the have not, but a revolution supportedby people of all walks of life that wanted a change and a democraticsociety. This is something contrary to what the US press has portrayedfor many years. Mr. Garcia you deserve a ten plus and your film I recommend it to allthat want to know the truth of what happened in our country in thoseyear. Congratulations!

Alésia Lanord 2012-04-19 15:34:52

A terrible movie. Don't waste your money.

Lackluster, tedious, trite- these are some of the words that come tomind when I think of "The Lost City". While the cinematography had somemerit, the dialogue was poorly written, often lacking originality andsometimes even sense. There were often large gaps in the dialogue wherethe sense of a scene would be lost, apparently to the actors as well asthe viewers. The film did an OK job portraying the tensions betweensupporters of Fidel Castro and those who opposed him, but any meritstherein were lost to the horrendous dialogue and other facets of theuninspired plot. Additionally, the acting was sub-standard, and quiteshocking given the valour of the cast. If it weren't for Bill Murray, Iwould probably have walked out. Suffice it to say, I was severelydisappointed and found myself questioning who allowed this movie to beproduced.

sarah lucas 2012-04-19 10:02:46

some beautiful cinematography and some terrible writing

This movie definitely has some strong points. There is some stunningcinematography and a few amazing sequences that depict quitebeautifully the trauma of the revolution on one Cuban family...But OHMY GOD, some of the writing is just awful, especially for femalecharacters. The female characters are so two dimensional, shallow andunbelievable. I found myself rolling my eyes throughout the movie atthe words uttered by and to them "You don't have to be sad, you justhave to be beautiful."...or something like that. Terrible. The plot isalso quite disjointed and awkward and it goes on too long. I am on theverge of saying don't bother seeing this movie, but for the fewstrengths mentioned earlier it is probably worth checking out.