SpuffyWeb
Sadly Over-hyped
Matrixiole
Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Usamah Harvey
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Allissa
.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
thmurphy-37414
Una Noche is a very good movie. I'm not completely sure how much I liked it, but there was something to keep track of from the beginning of the movie to the end. *Spoiler Alert* Lila and Raul end up back on Cuba after they attempt to make it to Miami on their raft, but you could only pick up on that by understanding that the same girl that was on vacation in Cuba was on the Jetski that towed them onto the beach. It was a very sad and depressing ending, which reveals that it is everything, but an American Film. Lila, the sister of Elio, had to suffer the pain of losing her brother, Elio, and was still in Cuba. To me it just seemed like a complete waste of time and torture. A shark ate Elio, so Raul and Lila were hoping for the best as they only had a piece of their raft left over to float on. It was sad to think that Elio was suppressed by the people he hung out with to hide that he was gay the whole time. His crush on Raul was the reason for wanting to leave the country in the first place. Not every story has a happy ending, but it was definitely not this one. I would recommend it to all.
tadegeare
This movie was very attention grabbing. There was a lot of real life struggles and absolutely nothing hidden about the lives of these people. The change in the lives of Elio and his sister, Lila, as they grow up has a huge impact on their lives. They need each other because their family is breaking apart. They want to help their mother but end up leaving her. A friend Elio makes at work changes their lives when he convinces Elio to leave with him to Miami. The movie is based off of a true story and the fact that Elio dies out in the water and Raul and Lila end up back in Cuba with no happy ending. Even in American films based off of true stories they are mini pulsates to end the way the directors would expect the viewers to want. There is no crowd appeal in these films the truth is given with no cushion. Overall I think it was a well acted and well directed film.
Jack
The film starts out with Elio, the brother of the narrator Lila, helping teach her to swim. Next, the director shows the close relationship between the two as they ride through the streets of Havana together on a bike. They seem inseparable, and Lila feels like they are inseparable. Then, Elio meets Raul who it seems that Elio takes a liking to. From that point on, Elio and Raul work in a kitchen of a hotel while preparing to migrate across the ocean 93 miles to Miami. Raul believes his dad is living there and that if they go they will have a better life. I don't think Elio has bought into the "American Dream" but it appears he will do anything for Raul. Raul dreams of driving a fast car and reuniting with is dad. The trip over seas is expedited when Raul is accused of seriously injuring a tourist. Elio drops everything and starts stealing materials to put together a raft. Lila also wants to tag along on the journey because she would do anything for Elio. They attempt to cross the ocean to Miami but don't succeed. Also, in the process Elio seems to be killed by a shark while saving his sister. They end up circling back around to Cuba. The film shows how people have hope for a better life in America but the struggle to get there is great
olastensson13
This is Lucy Mulloy's exam work from New York University. She's already a complete film maker. It's shot in Havanna and it's amazing this picture could be made there, because it's very critical against the Cuban police state, so much depending on tourists, that officers beat up citizens in the alleys, if they get too close in the wrong way to foreigners.A twin couple, boy and girl, who are very close. Another boy, Raoul, who the twin boy is in love with, but he doesn't dare to show it, because of the macho surroundings. There's panic for different reasons and the three kids plan to leave Cuba in the most dangerous way.A strong movie, far from clichés.