Linkshoch Wonderful Movie

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Sonofamoviegeek At first I thought that this was a Latin version of a typical gay film that comes out of the U.S. I couldn't have been more wrong. It's really a charming film about friendship that's difficult to achieve. "Why does sex always get in the way?" David asks. In other words, it's as difficult for a gay and straight man to develop a friendship as it is for a straight man and woman. Sounds a bit like dating and marriage, doesn't it? It's even more difficult when a government and friends interfere.At the beginning I was afraid that Diego would actually seduce David and voilà we have the usual gay film that I find boring. Instead, I really got to like Diego, much the same way he eventually charms David. That's getting involved with characters in a movie. Excellent performances by the two leads.The other performance that is compelling is that of Nancy (Mirtha Ibarra). I first saw Mirtha Ibarra in Guantanamara, a film that followed this by a year. In both films, she plays the older woman that every young man fantasizes about. Where was Mirtha Ibarra when I was David's age? I don't know how, if the Cuban regime is supposed to be so oppressive that they allowed this film to be made. Perhaps they wanted to show the "Yanquis" that it's possible to be critical of the government and still love one's country.This is a film that I will see twice.

Chris Adair Homosexuality is something that is not accepted in many countries, and this Cuban movie is based in this sentiment. The dramatic-comedy Strawberry and Chocolate was directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, and was an adaptation of the story "The wolf, the forest, and the new man" by Senel Paz. This movie represents very well the sentiment against homosexuality that still exists. Vladimir Cruz plays the part of David, the protagonist (the "new man" in Paz's words), and Jorge Perugorría plays the part of Diego (the wolf).The plot begins in Havana with David and his failed attempt to make love to his girlfriend, Vivian. It continues later on Vivian's wedding day with another man, while David watches them from the background. Depressed, David goes to the ice cream stand and meets Diego, who is clearly homosexual. Diego invites him to his apartment, but David flees suddenly because Diego is very strange. He later returns to the apartment because he is under the pressure of his roommate, Manuel, to investigate "the queer." Friendship begins to grow between David and Diego. Diego is smart, knows a lot about art and culture, and teaches these things to his friend. The friendship between David and Nancy, one of Diego's friends, grows as well and they make love at the end of the movie. But, Diego is in trouble after sending a letter that ridicules the government for not accepting his art exhibition and, for this reason, the government kicks him out and he has to leave the country. The movie ends with a touching hug between Diego and David. I like the plot because it uses elements of comedy to demonstrate a serious theme, and I thing that this works well.There are two themes that clearly exist in this movie: friendship and tolerance. True friendship can only exist when two people accept each other as they are; not only physically, but on the inside as well. For example, friendship is nonexistent between Manuel and David because Manuel doesn't care about David's personality, rather his actions. By the end, David and Diego adore each other for all the qualities they have, and do not worry about physical things. Tolerance is something different and is important as well. Many people in Cuba (demonstrated in Manuel) and other countries can't change their thoughts about homosexuality because they are too strong and unmovable. David's tolerance for Diego grows during the progression of the movie and it is realized at the end with a hug between friends.The use of light works well to show the mood of the movie. The darkness at the beginning shows the feeling that they are doing something bad or dirty, and the brightness when David and Diego are in the hideout (Diego's apartment) at the end of the movie shows that things will be fine. The acting is good and adds to the movie. Sometimes, Perugorría's acting is too cheesy, but it works to show his strange character. Through Cruz's good acting, one can clearly see David's emotional growth with his new friendship with Diego, the strange guy.In reality, people do not accept a change from the norm, and this is true especially with homosexuality. Homosexuals still fight today in many countries for their rights, but many people still don't accept them. This movie shows us very well this feeling through drama but also with a few moments of humor. I would recommend this to my friends because it isn't too serious, but nonetheless has a moving message for the viewer.

relias `Strawberry and Chocolate' (1993)is set in contemporary Havana. The luster of that city has dimmed after nearly four decades of Castro's rule. David (Vladimir Cruz), a student and avid Castro supporter, is on the rebound after losing his girlfriend. He had taken her to a cheap hotel to make love, but the place is so shabby it puts her off. Instead, he promises never to touch her until they marry. In the next scene, she marries someone else while David stands sullenly among the well wishers at the registry office. Then he meets Diego (Jorge Perugorría). Diego, who is flamboyantly gay, parks himself at David's table in an outdoor café to eat a dish of strawberry ice cream. For David, this is suspicious because chocolate is also available. Diego says some people like chocolate, some like strawberry, an innocuous line that gives the movie its title and also hints at the odd couple relationship to follow. Diego does not disguise his sexual interest in David, but is also interested in giving David an education the regime denies him. The older man is far more cultured than his new friend. Offers of books banned in Castro's Cuba, such as a novel by Mario Vargas Llosa or the poems of John Donne, lure David to his apartment for tea and talk. When David reports that Diego is involved with a forbidden art exhibit, he is directed to befriend Diego to find out more information. `Strawberry and Chocolate' thus sets their emerging friendship against the backdrop of two bleak themes: anti-gay prejudice in the Castro regime, and the betray-thy-neighbor expectation of a police state. But almost nobody conforms to type. A woman in Diego's building who is part of the neighborhood Vigilance Committee, on the watch for counter-revolutionary activities, turns out to be a good friend to Diego and then to David. Everyone plays one game with the government, but a different one in their private lives. This is a lesson David has to learn. Encounters with women along the way provide a few subplots, but the heart of the story lies in the hearts of the two men. `Strawberry and Chocolate' is credited to directors Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío. The former was, until his death shortly after completing this film, the best known filmmaker in Cuba, winning an international reputation in the 1960's for titles such as `Memoirs of Underdevelopment,' a look at life in Cuba in the early Castro years that tempers criticism with prudence. `Strawberry' is smaller in scale and less overtly political. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1995 and won awards at film festivals around the world (including the Sundance Festival). American viewers may instantly slot it with Hollywood features that show how straight characters learn life lessons from a wiser gay companion (`Boys on the Side,' `As Good As It Gets'). And at times Diego's excesses recall the worst performances of Harvey Fierstein. Yet superb performances by the two male leads eventually move beyond stereotypes they – and the audience – initially share about each other, transforming their unexpected friendship into a statement that puts the lie to official groupthink in a repressive regime.

mattymatt4ever "Strawberry and Chocolate" is definitely one of the best foreign films I've seen so far. It's both entertaining and moving. In the opening scenes, I couldn't help but laugh at the fish-out-of-water interactions between the main character and the gay man. But the actor who plays the gay man isn't a walking stereotype. He shows many feminine characteristics, but not in a way that he seems to be almost laughing at himself. Often times, gay men feel like women stuck in men's bodies, so it's only natural that they act feminine, but that doesn't mean all they talk about is which guys they think are hot and their longing for promiscuous sex. During those interactions, the gay man hits on the main character, but that's because he's a handsome guy. If a straight man were to meet a pretty girl, he'd hit on her too. Only that wouldn't be disputed, because heterosexuality is considered normal. But the gay man's advances aren't too forward and he doesn't start harassing him or anything.The friendship between the two characters develops slowly, but realistically. You can't expect an average heterosexual man to immediately click with a homosexual. During their later conversations, the gay man expresses more of his emotions, and how he's shunned by society. Of course, we've seen other movies where gay characters express their disgust for being treated as third-class citizens, but in this case I felt connected to the characters to the point where it didn't feel like a plot device. As I said, the relationship develops naturally and not through sentimental coincidence. Some directors would augment the relationship to the point where the main character decides that he himself is gay. But what are the chances that'll happen in reality? I have some gay friends, but that doesn't tempt me to like men as well. In fact, I still cringe when certain gay friends of mine talk about their sexual episodes. In this film, the main character remains straight and even falls in love with the man's older next-door neighbor. I enjoyed that little subplot and felt it strengthened the narrative, instead of driving it off course. The next-door neighbor also adds more comic relief to the film, with her quick wits.The acting is excellent. Aside from the actor who plays the gay character, who I feel gave a tour de force, the main actor also delivers. His reactions are very genuine, as he's sort of the straight man (no pun intended, seriously) feeding off his co-star's energy. The film is directed the same team who made "Guantanamera," another independent gem which I had the pleasure of watching in one of my previous film classes. The two movies show the directors' knacks for telling an engaging story that can be both riotously funny and incredibly moving.My score: 9 (out of 10)