Cuba Reviews

Intelligent, zany satire of Cuban military dictatorships and revolutions from director Richard Lester and screenwriter Charles Wood, who previously collaborated on a number of projects, including HOW I WON THE WAR and the 1968 CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE. Connery is a British mercenary enlisted by the Batista regime to come to Havana and help crush Castro's guerrillas. In addition to encountering various scoundrels--including cynical Batista general Balsam, angry would-be revolutionary De La Paz, and grotesque American businessman Weston--Dapes meets former flame Adams, a Cuban tobacco factory manager with a philandering husband (Chris Sarandon). As the Batista government comes tumbling down, the film focuses on how the selfish, corrupt and hypocritical characters respond to the tumultuous events. Filmed in Spain, CUBA was virtually ignored upon its release, but it's an entertaining and well-crafted political satire that is definitely worth a look.