The producers credit as inspiration, among others, Hitchcock, the Coen Brothers, and Antonioni.
There is certainly a strong influence of Hitch in this tale of what appears to be an ordinary Canadian man who, as in "The Thirty-Nine Steps," gets mixed up in violence and international intrigue.
Add more than a few dollops of Coen Brothers black humor and perversity, as well as a considerable helping of Antonioni's trademark mystery and indeterminacy.
Set it in a vivid and decadent Havana, lovingly and lushly photographed, populated by a variety of Cuban types, and you might expect that all the ingredients would bake up into a pleasantly steamy concoction.
But at the two thirds point, around the time that Greg Wise's character is killed off. the atmosphere falters, and like an underdone cake, it falls flat. Wise, in particular, is missed because the lone female character is absent until the very end and Gil Bellows' screen presence is too bland and inexpressive to hold our interest.
A big drawback is the lack of sexual tension. The homoerotic bond is not explored, merely glanced at; then, in a very Freudian way, put aside and ridiculed.
Nor does it help that the movie keeps its cards close to its chest. Absent a clue about a "McGuffin," the audience is left in the dark far too long as to motives and relationships.
In sum, of interest mainly for its supporting actors, its photography and its portrait of Havana.
There is certainly a strong influence of Hitch in this tale of what appears to be an ordinary Canadian man who, as in "The Thirty-Nine Steps," gets mixed up in violence and international intrigue.
Add more than a few dollops of Coen Brothers black humor and perversity, as well as a considerable helping of Antonioni's trademark mystery and indeterminacy.
Set it in a vivid and decadent Havana, lovingly and lushly photographed, populated by a variety of Cuban types, and you might expect that all the ingredients would bake up into a pleasantly steamy concoction.
But at the two thirds point, around the time that Greg Wise's character is killed off. the atmosphere falters, and like an underdone cake, it falls flat. Wise, in particular, is missed because the lone female character is absent until the very end and Gil Bellows' screen presence is too bland and inexpressive to hold our interest.
A big drawback is the lack of sexual tension. The homoerotic bond is not explored, merely glanced at; then, in a very Freudian way, put aside and ridiculed.
Nor does it help that the movie keeps its cards close to its chest. Absent a clue about a "McGuffin," the audience is left in the dark far too long as to motives and relationships.
In sum, of interest mainly for its supporting actors, its photography and its portrait of Havana.