Nick Frost, Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd star in this romantic comedy film. Lisa’s has her take on “Cuban Fury.”
Cuban Fury
Entertainment One
Rated R FOR LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL REFERENCES
Run Time: 98 mins
Starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Ian McShane, Kayvan Novak, Olivia Colman, Rory Kinnear
Directed by James Griffiths
Studio Synopsis:
1987: 13-year-old Bruce Garrett, a natural born salsa dancer with fire in his heels and the world at his feet, is perfectly poised to clinch the title at the UK Junior Salsa Championships. But then… a freakish bullying incident on the mean streets of London robs him of his sequins and his confidence, and our young hero finds his life diverted down a very different path.
So it is that 25 years later, an adult Bruce Garrett (Nick Frost), finds himself out-of-shape, unloved and emotionally inert – trapped in a downward spiral of self pity. It takes Julia (Rashida Jones), his smart, funny, gorgeous new American boss, to force him to confront the demons of his past and re-examine his passionless existence. Bruce fears it’s an impossible challenge – she’s way out of his league (“She’s a 10, I’m a 2!”) and long held self doubts prove tricky to shed. Luckily for him, Julia also has a secret passion… salsa dancing. Maybe, just maybe, this is his way in…
But life is never that easy for Bruce. First he’s got to get past Drew (Chris O’Dowd), the oversexed alphamale of the office and Bruce’s tirelessly taunting team manager. With Drew making no secret of his desire to make Julia his latest conquest, Bruce is forced into action and brought face-to-face with his darkest and most powerful inner demons.
Somehow, with a lot of handholding from loyal sister Sam (Olivia Colman), his old mentor Ron (Ian McShane) and crazy new amateur salsa pal Bejan (Novak) Bruce must learn to unshackle his dancing beast, regain his long lost fury and claim the love of his life… and he’s got to do it all On The Dance Floor…
The producers of Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim, Paul, Attack The Block, The World’s End and Sightseers bring together some of the finest comedy talent with some of the world’s best salsa dancers. With a thumping score, a dash of sequins and a large squeeze of comedy and romance, Cuban Fury is a movie cocktail that satisfies like no other.
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqWVLL4YxGI’]
©2014 Entertainment One Films US
Lisa’s Take:
It’s not easy to make a good dance film. The best ones – like “Dirty Dancing,” “Shall We Dance” (the original Japanese version directed by Masayuki Suo), and even “Silver Linings Playbook” (arguably a dance film) – appeal to a wide audience, non-dancers and dancers alike. They all have the culminating dance scene when all the hard work pays off and the average Joe (or Jill) comes into his or her own. Most dance movies don’t have all the elements – identifiable characters, an interesting plot and inspiring dancing – but “Cuban Fury” unexpectedly has all three.
Nick Frost adds a comedic element to the dance film formula, although I’m not sure why it’s called “Cuban Fury.” The only thing Cuban about it is some of the music on the excellent soundtrack (featuring some classic Salsa bands – Tito Puente, Los Van Van, Oscar D’Leon) and there is little “fury” involved. Frost plays a wallflower who leaves competitive Latin dancing as a kid and gets back into it to get a girl (Rashida Jones). Chris O’Dowd is a villainous office coworker competing for the same girl, and there is an amusing dance-off between the two of them in a parking lot. In theory this was a funny scene, but there was definitely a stunt double (or two) at work here, and neither one of them quite embodied the spirit of great Salsa dancing.
Kayvan Novak is entertaining as Frost’s new G.B.F. and Jones should have had a bigger, funnier part, but she plays it pretty straight and simple as the boss / love interest. O’Dowd’s raunchy humor is a bit over the top, constantly tormenting Frost’s character with his claims of sexual prowess.
I liked the way Frost plays an average guy who steps out of his comfort zone to regain his passion. He has a charming relationship with his sister and childhood dance partner (Olivia Coleman), a bartender who encourages him with booze and moral support.
Frost’s wardrobe improves as he gains confidence, until finally the sequins come out and his mentor gives him a pair of old school dance shoes. I liked the scene where his dance mentor provokes him until Frost yells out the Al Pacino line with a perfect Scarface accent, “Say hello to my little friend.” In real life, Frost did train for 7 months to get his Salsa dancing chops, which makes him look like a passable dancer in most of the scenes, but I think the editing and camera angles had something to do with that, too.
As a non-dancer himself, I applaud Nick Frost for taking a risk and showcasing the Salsa community. As with many dance films, some of the best dancers are the extras – look for them in the final scene. Although “Cuban Fury” didn’t do so well in Britain (it opened Valentine’s Day), I found it to be a light, feel-good movie with charm.