Cuarteto de La Habana

Entertaining and amusing Spanish/Cuban comedy in which a quartet of good actors become involved into improbable situations . It deals with Walter (Ernesto Alterio , son of great actor Hector Alterio and sister of also actress Malena Alterio), an aspiring musician from Madrid, he attempts himself to flee several troubles from his thunderous life . After death his grandmother (Lola Lemos) and finding a videotape, Walter aware something which will alter his whole life , and tries to escape his girlfriend Vicky (Maria Esteve , Marisol's daughter) who wants to marry and then Walter put his Madrid troubles on hold . In the tape, a Cuban woman (veteran Cuban actress Mirta Ibarra) confesses to be his mother and is waiting for him in Havana . Walter then decides to go to Havana with intention to see the woman told be his mummy . There, the screenplay thickens with the addition of the mom's daughter , and a flight attendant named Segis (Javier Camera) . As Walter falls for his supposedly half-sister Diana (Laura Ramos), engaged to be married to Segis and shortly after the wedding is in jeopardy . Then takes place a twisted mess among couples including various love stories , but the things begin to unravel and the events go wrong .

This is another Spanish typical comedy, it is a fun film that contains lots of humor , entertainment and fun . This is a slightly funny film with entertaining events , giggles , emotion and agreeable love stories , including some nudism . The film explores the relationship among a motley quartet and their triangular love stories , being well played by top-notch actors . However , it moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable, with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing . The picture benefits a good cast as Ernesto Alterio along with Mirta Ibarra , Javier Camera and Laura Ramos who round out the quartet . The flick gives a short description about lives of people of middle classes in the Habana City . This is an ordinary Spanish comedy from the 90s with the usual ingredients such as enjoyable humor , social habits and relationships among people , especially a peculiar foursome . My feelings are extremely mixed but I must admit there are things I haven't been able to stop thinking about , the first part is played mostly for laughs as the boy get into scrapes trying to score with the girl . A few of the scenes are amusing , they elicit chuckles but no serious laughter . The picture attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , mother-son relationship and love , including its amusing sides . The roles in this film are all lovable despite being rather pathetic and silly . The main issue about the continuous meetings and ongoings disagreements between the protagonists and their intertwined loves , it is so repetitive and that makes it a bit boring and the most part results to be rich in implausibilities . Sympathetic performances from main cast , Ernesto Alterio as a musician with a lot of problems , and gorgeous Laura Ramos both of them provide a considerable boost to the result ,and experienced Cuban actress Mirta Ibarra ; in addition , special mention to Javier Camera as a Spanish airline crew member . Furthermore , a very good support cast such as Pilar Castro , Lola Lemos , Javier Gurruchaga , Maria Esteve , Monica Cano and Daisy Granados as likable neighbor , too .

Atmospheric and appropriate musical score by Mariano Marin , plenty of catching Cuban songs . Evocative as well as glimmer cinematography by Livio Delgado , he creates a colorful photography with juicy atmosphere . The motion picture was professionally written and directed Fernando Colomo , though with no originality . Fernando Colomo was born in Madrid and is a talented and versatile writer/director who has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as comedy, drama and one science fiction movie (1985 El caballero del Dragón) in a career that spans over 30 years . Especially known for directing comedies such as 1987 La Vida Alegre , 1988 Miss Caribe , 1989 Bajarse al Moro , 1993 Rosa Rosae , 1994 Alegre Ma Non Troppo , 1995 Efecto Mariposa . And in the 2000s directed Al Sur Granada (2003) , El Próximo Oriente (2006), Rivales (2008) and La Banda Picasso (2012) .

This is a lightweight romantic comedy but it has its moments. It deals with cultural differences between Cubans and Spaniards and shows clearly "why does everyone want to go to Cuba?" (as the tagline says). Segis and Walter arrive in Havana with all the jaded superiority of Europeans who think they're better off than the Cubans, but it quickly becomes apparent that the Cuban women they're interested in are a whole lot smarter than they are. The love story is pretty unconventional by Hollywood standards but that makes it more interesting. Underneath there are some bittersweet moments as Walter realizes that growing up in Spain doesn't mean he's Spanish. He was born in Cuba and there are still lots of things the tie him emotionally to the island and the people. It's a little disconcerting to see how Lita (Mirta Ibarra) and her neighbor (Daisy Granados) covet new appliances and a refrigerator full of food - it reminds us that not all Cubans are as well off as these characters, and dependence on foreign currency does have a down side. But all of that is glossed over, so you don't have to think a lot about it if you don't want to. It's not a realistic look at life in Cuba, but it's still an interesting glimpse into cultural differences and how Cubans are managing to survive in times of economic crisis.