Review: Lost City, The (B)

Lost City, The (2005)
Directed by Andy Garcia
Starring Andy Garcia, Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Bauer, Inés Sastre and Nestor Carbonell
MPAA: R
Grade: B

Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy

Andy Garcia's sprawling homage to Havana is a bit long, and at times, wandering. However, it also is sweet, powerful and stangely addictive.

The original script for The Lost City was reportedly over 300 pages and it shows. This is a film that tells a number of stories: Fico Fellove (Garcia) and his family, the people who are struggling for a "free Cuba" and the regime of Fulgenico Batista. Fico owns the successful El Tropico nightclub and his father is a respected professor at the Univerity of Havana. As change sweeps over the city that he loves, Fico and his family are swept along with it.

The Lost City has a fantastic look to it and the music is spectacular. However, as I stated previously, the film seems to drag in parts. Perhaps it could have been edited down a bit. Another pet peeve here is the poor use of Bill Murray. He is a comedian in the film, and yet his character does not seem to have much of a desire for his craft. He also seems detached from the revolution going on around him.

Despite the small flaws pointed out here, The Lost City is a very good film. Garcia shows a knack for directing and he does an excellent job of showing the hypocrisy behind Cuba's revolution.

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