Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
*
PG-13, 87 m Starring Romola Garai, Diego Luna, Sela Ward, Jonathan Jackson and Patrick Swayze. Directed by Guy Ferland. Opens tomorrow.
When you think of seminal chick flicks, certainly the first to pop into your head is 1987's "Dirty Dancing." Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey's class-defying adventure in the underbelly of the dance world has delighted girls and, secretly, boys, for years. The film, which is by no means spectacular, has such a following that, alas, the producers thought it would be a fabulous idea to make another one.
"Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" is not a sequel to the original nor is it a remake, but rather it is a reconception of a much-loved story. This film, which is apparently based on producer-choreographer JoAnn Jansen's actual experiences, is a ridiculous waste of money and talent.
The premise, which is essentially the same as the 1987 version, involves 18-year-old Katey Miller (thank God her name is not Baby) and her family moving to Havana, Cuba, in 1958. Here Katey dances the fine line between what is socially acceptable (the American elite who sit poolside at an exclusive hotel) and what is not (a fling with native pool boy Javier who teaches her how to get hot and heavy on, and off, the dance floor).
Katey and Javier enter a dance competition at a prestigious nightclub in hopes that the prize money will help Javier move his family to America. The couple practices its routine in every aesthetically pleasing locale on the island and, as they do, things begin to get rather steamy between them.
Katey is played by Romola Garai, a British actress who stunned an unfortunately small number of viewers in "I Capture the Castle" last summer, and Javier is played by Diego Luna of "Y Tu Mama Tambien" fame. Both actors are incredibly gifted but, sadly, this film is a gross waste of their talent. It is unfortunate that two such promising actors were reduced to making a film so much like a Lifetime movie.
The blatant misuse of talent is not the grossest part of this film, however. The opening credits boast that this film is based on true events. This claim is apparently based on the fact that Jansen pranced around revolutionary Cuba as a teenager, but it also leads one to believe that the story is true. This is ludicrous - the screenplay for the film is based on the first "Dirty Dancing" film, only here it has a Latin flair. Jansen may have been in Cuba, and she may have flitted around the nightclubs, but the assertion that the entire was "based on true events" is misleading.
Certainly, there are a few "real" events in the film, such as a very brief scene where Cubans celebrate on the streets after Batista's government is overthrown by Fidel Castro. These politicized scenes are glossed over because this is supposed to be a chick flick for happy teenage girls who have no idea who Castro is. This film could have been extremely effective had the political angle been more fully developed. A film cannot be made about Cuba in 1958 without exploring the political tone of the country and the repercussions of the political activity on the inhabitants.
There is yet one more negative aspect to "Havana Nights": Patrick Swayze is in it. Swayze, who plays a dance instructor at the hotel, appears in more than one scene to teach Katey how to dance. This totally defeats the point of Javier; Katey shouldn't need some washed-up actor with no career to give her dance lessons when she has a hot young thing like Diego Luna. Swayze's part in this film blows any credibility the film may still be hanging on to.
The only redeeming characteristic of this pathetic excuse for a good film is the music. The soundtrack is incredible, and includes the best of contemporary musicians' interpretations of Latin music from the 1950s. The plot may make you want to retch, but the dancing and music will make you want to run out, find a hot Latin man and take salsa lessons.
