Havana

A project that's been kicking around Hollywood for a decade, Havana was started and abandoned by director Sidney Pollack once before. After script rewrites, Pollack and star Robert Redford took another shot at it, and the result is a thoroughly professional if rather lifeless film. Set in Havana in the year 1958, on the eve of Castro's takeover, Havana features Redford as Jack Weil, an American card sharp who becomes involved in Cuban politics, when he falls in love with Roberta (Lena Olin), the wife of aristocratic revolutionary Arturo Duran (Raul Julia). When Arturo is apparently killed, and Roberta captured by the Batista regime's henchmen, Jack pulls a few strings and has her sprung from jail. Jack's still not particularly interested in revolutionary politics, but Roberta is, so the two lovers play verbal and literal footsie off and on while crowd shots here and there remind us that big doings are going on revolution-wise in the country. With the exception of one unforeseen twist in the plot; however, Havana is tiresomely predictable. Like many another "big" picture before it, Havana scores admirably in its overall look (the set designs for 1958 Cuba are quite good), quality acting, and effective editing--while failing as a film. Watching it, one is neither moved to tears nor laughter. One is not moved, period--except to impatience, waiting for a 145 minute drama without dramatic impact to finally fizzle out. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Pitman)