El mundo de Nelsito

A deeply humane film deliberately fragmented into interlocking timelines and fantasy excursions not unlike in some ways Crash (2004) except here there the intensely focused study of human issues like sexual violence, poverty, family disinitegt, social aspiration etc centres on one day in Havana, Cuba, 2016.

Here the mundanity, distress and ugliness of situations is transformed by the fantastical imagination of the titular character - in a way that may challenge the viewer as to what is real or not. There is a lot of sadness, much dark humour, violent moments, but the winsome cast and the great photography make otherwise tawdry settings sparkle with magic realism. It's an unconventional film that manages to portray a lot of reality and prescient social issues though the creative kalideopspic visions of one small totally marginalized character. It seems to suggest we could all benefit from Nelsito's perspective in a way, as we are all faced with everyday failure and loss in some way. It also seems like a perfectly plausible snapshot of contemporary Cuban life for many people. A fascinating and thought-provoking work.