I Love Miami (2006)

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely Fantastic

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

For an outsider like me, this film is a top-notch concise explanation of the cuban-american condition. It tells of the feeling of displacement of a people forced to leave their beloved mother country, because life became too dangerous or unbearable there. It tells also of the community culture that grows up amongst these people, complete with the hope of some, that their homeland will change, and become free, and the angst of others that this hope will hold the community back in their new homeland, There is also a theme of personal responsibility running through this film as strongly as the Miami river runs through the eponymous city. The acting is first rate, with swiftly drawn, but accurately and tenderly delivered characters. The film touches on the politics of being cuban-american, but concentrates on the depth of humanity of the people it depicts.

The premise of this film sounded as though it could have possibilities. The arrival of an aging Fidel Castro to Florida is something unimaginable! The Cuban dictator and the exiles have been at odds ever since he came into power almost a half a century ago. Unfortunately, the team responsible for this comedy had no clue about what they were getting into.The creators of "I Love Miami", Alejandro Gonzalez Padilla and Monica Abin, don't bring anything new to a story that doesn't make any sense at all. Then, there is the central casting of Juan Luis Galiardo in the main role. The Spanish actor can't hide his accent at all, thus making the Fidel he is trying to portray, a caricature of the worst possible kind.The different accents used by the cast are distracting, adding to the overall effect of confusion. This is a film to be seen at the viewer's own risk.

I was so excited when I came across this DVD at the video store because the plot sounded so good - Fidel Castro finding himself a refugee in Miami. Well, that is about where the entertainment stopped. The movie is bad...really, really bad. The acting is awful - with Alicia Machado being the worst. Ex-Menudo Johnny Lozada is somewhat believable as a gay man but the character is pointless. Even Jaime Camil, who is usually pretty good, was awful in this movie. The only likable character and actor is the little kid, even if he looks a little too much like Elian Gonzales. The Spanish dialog throughout the movie is bad because they do not even sound Cuban with Machado overdoing the accent and Camil not even attempting it. When they speak English it is even worst because the accents are just the awful stereo-typical portrait of a Hispanic immigrant . To make matters worst, there is really no story there. The movie is billed as a dark comedy but to be any type of comedy it would first have to be funny. Don't waste your time with this movie.

I don't know if I'm actually giving you a spoiler or not, but just to be on the safe side, be warned.I expected so much more from this movie... Few times in my life have I been so disappointed by a movie, I don't even know where to begin. When I saw the previews, I thought it might be a good storyline... Fidel arriving in Miami as a "balsero".But its very clear that those who wrote this story/screenplay were not Cubans at all! Much less were they well-informed on Cuban culture (expressions, mannerisms, history, politics, etc.). You can tell from the start that most of the "actors" are Mexican and they really suck at portraying Cubans. Mexicans have a way of imitating Cubans that is really cheesy, over the top, and at times even insulting. And that is what they have done in this movie. Obviously nobody took the time to hire a Cuban dialect coach. It is so sad that even the main character (Fidel) doesn't have even the slightest Cuban accent.On the other hand, I also could not understand why on Earth they spoke most of the movie in English. And it was BAD English. The kind of ESL accent that is very common in Mexicans. I found even that to be annoying.Johnny Lozada as "Carlitos" was such a cliché of a Latin gay man that it wasn't even funny. This was beyond Overacting. I don't know who in their right mind thinks that Alicia Machado/"Gisselle" can act. And the list goes on.I kept watching this movie hoping it would get better, but that never happened. You keep waiting for the story to get better or for "something" to actually happen, but it never does. Not even the soundtrack is worth a penny. Don't waste your money. I'm sorry I did.