UNA NOCHE

 

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOX:

In Havana, Raul dreams of escaping to Miami. Accused of assault, he appeals to Elio to help him reach the forbidden world 90 miles across the ocean. One night, full of hope, they face the biggest challenge of their lives.

FROM THE BACK OF MY BRAIN:

“Una Noche” focuses on Raul’s desire to just be somewhere better. The movie was filmed by a British filmmaker that wanted to capture the sense of longing in Havana. While she doesn’t carry the baggage of the American embargo into her process, director Lucy Mulloy will make you feel Raul’s need to escape to Miami. It’s not jingoism or a desire to be an American. It’s about the need to be reminded that life doesn’t always have to suck so hard.

Tales like these are interesting, but they never capture the larger audience that they deserve. When Raul and his pals begin the boat trip to America, it’s about more than survival. After all, if your life has collapsed back home…is death really the worst thing? The sense of futility in existence, when you realize that there’s nothing keeping you to your homeland is so alien to most of the Western World. However, I feel it was captured to such a degree that it will be years before most audiences truly appreciate what they’ve seen. I’m now left with a desire to see Mulloy’s other feature film. I know that she worked on “When the Levees Break”, but I don’t believe she had any direct creative control over that Spike Lee project.

The DVD comes with no substantial special features. But, it wasn’t like I was expecting anything. The transfer is pretty flat, even for standard definition. The Dolby 2.0 track isn’t dynamic, but it carries the dialogue. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!