Viva

Parental Rating: R

Contains: Language    Nudity    Violence    Adult Content    

Jill's Review

Opens June 3, 2016

Runs 100 minutes

Jesus (Hector Medina) has grown up fending for himself in Havana after his Mother's death and his Father's abandonment. He cuts hair for a living and styles the wigs of the local Drag Queens for extra money. But his secret wish is to perform on stage with them. When he is finally allowed to perform, wouldn't you know it but his Father Angel (Jorge Perugorria) jumps up out of the crowd and punches him in the face. He forces Jesus to quit the club. Afterall, Angel is a tough former boxer who will not have his son performing as a Drag Queen. Even as they clash over every little thing, they slowly begin to thaw toward one another. Will Angel ever allow Jesus to live out his dream?

This was a decent indie film. I just thought it was really slow. And, since it was subtitled, the songs that the Drag Queens sing were in Spanish. That took away a bit of the fun factor for me. The cast was good but I have seen better versions of films like this. Jesus' character was so pensive. He stared into space a lot. Once he finally let loose and performed, he was really good (and I'm sure that was on purpose but it just made things a little glum for me). The poorest part of Havana that is portrayed in this film is very realistic. The conditions are almost intolerable. You can't help but feel sorry for Jesus and hope that he gets to fulfill his dream. Just felt like it took too long to get there. If you love indie films, then you might like this. Otherwise, you can probably skip it. 

Movie Search

Find a movie by name, genre, or ranking.