D01
This anecdote-like debut of Cuban filmmakers Mo Fini and Edesio Alejandro should get attention from collections where The Buena Vista Social Club broke big some 25 years ago, sharing some of that film's artists and ambiance. The setting is the Cuban region of Bayamo, where entrepreneurial family man and musician JC (Hector Noas) is a high-profile local eminence—but with his resources stretched thin in the new free-market economy, against a background of Trump-era US embargoes, drought, and poor local harvests—he makes a living simultaneously as a pig farmer, concert promoter, recording engineer, tourist host, and anything else that comes along. An old cohort (David Perez Perez) reappears, practically oozing treachery, promising JC a lucrative deal involving a jewelry sale.
The bulk of the narrative—so casual it really puts across the notion of "island time"—regards JC trying to raise the required $50,000 for the scheme, while tooling around in his immaculate (but balky) vintage Chevy Bel Air, with frequent breaks for music sequences and local color. Meanwhile, viewers will see the twist at the end coming from miles away.
One is given to understand Mambo Man was based on an actual incident, filmed at the farm and locations where it happened, which may add some interest. But the principal appeal is for the armchair travelers and tropics-watchers, with the docu-dramatic insider look at modern Cuba (conveyed also in the car-centric 2002 documentary Yank Tanks) remaining resourceful, music-loving, and unbroken despite the ongoing enforced political/economic deprivations. One could argue that the cinematic team might have put one past censor by offering a portrait of Cubans remaining optimistic and resilient despite betrayals by comrades they considered their best friends (Castro? Karl Marx? Uncle Sam? The Kremlin? Discuss...), but that could be overthinking things a bit.
With a largely all-ages potential viewership (if the little ones can sit still during the more siesta-like moments), the Cuban import makes a strong optional addition for collections with a pan-Hispanic/Latinx beat. Aud: P