User reviews

Heart-breaking, soulful and relatable; "The Cuban" doesn't quite reach its potential but manages to create sweet moments.

In this drama, a med student gets a job in a nursing home and befriends an elderly Cuban musician, reigniting her love of music and changes her life forever.

The superstar in this film is Ana Golja; she embodies so much heart, soul and delivers a great performance. The legendary Louis Gossett Jr is fantastic as well as the man struggling with his kind and body. Hilario Durán's score is incredibly infectious and will make you want to dance. Aside from its flaws; "The Cuban" is overall a good film that will make you realize how much we need to appreciate our elders and how much music can change being.

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VERY well done movie covering many subjects, aging, how we treat our elders, how music/food affects us, cultural differences, I could go on and on! Don't want to spoil anything so won't detail too much but young pre-med student starts at a nursing home job and meets an elderly resident who is almost catatonic, no words/eating etc. She discovers what makes him more aware and it changes her life as well. Great acting as usual from Louis Gossett Jr and I didn't know Ana Golja but she was great too. Many supporting actors also gave really good performances which added to the story/mood of the film. Music was great as well as the writing, simple yet complicated story. Having waited on seniors for a lot of my career I can tell you they often have GREAT stories to tell and we should pay attention to them. Many pieces of advice they gave me have come in handy. Overall well done, give it a look!

A well meaning, but far-fetched story of a premed student working in a nursing home environment whose residents suffer primarily from dementia and Alzheimer's. She establishes a meaningful connection with one of the residents who initially is deemed hopeless for recovery. She achieves this bond by using his Cuban background (food, music, etc) to reawaken his senses by stimulating his memory. Of course, she meets her fair share of obstacles along the way. The movie is not awful but I wouldn't want to spend money in a theater to see it. The acting is good but the writing is mediocre. I'd recommend it on a rainy or snowy afternoon at home.

I find the plot engaging and touching. The heart of Mina is inspiring. The music is great as well. I enjoyed it a lot.

In a nursing home, nurse Baker (Lauren Holly) assigns Mina Ayoub (Ana Golja) to care for Luis Garcia (Louis Gossett Jr.), a Cuban musician suffering from dementia. She tries to connect with his music. Bano Ayoub (Shohreh Aghdashloo) is her progressive mother who is still holding onto her Afghan home. Her cousin sets her up with Kris (Giacomo Gianniotti).

The Notebook uses flashbacks to add life to a confined drama. This one is trying to use Mina's personal life. That's the weaker half of this movie. I don't find the romance all that compelling. It doesn't have much heat. What would be more compelling is Luis' life in Cuba. If only they could film half of the movie there. As for LGJ, I love his face and its age. I find his recovery a little abrupt. I do like the son's conflict with him, but it needs more space. There are various elements being thrown into the pot. All of it is commendable, but the movie needs more cohesive tension. This is an admirable try.

For all the NON-TECHNICAL SO-CALLED FILM CRITICS. This movie was excellent. I love emotional attachment movies that provoke real emotions. This tells the reality of thousands of people left to die in a cold non-loving Mental nursing home. The new nurse (MED-STUDENT) makes a real connection with an aging dying man whom she finds out was a famous Cuban Musician. She goes outside the guidelines to bring him some kind of forgotten normalcy from a world he forgot due to dementia and Alzheimer's. Though this she also finds herself as does her aunt whom she lives with. I have been to Mental nursing homes that are cold, un-caring on a personal level and just go through the motions until the patient dies. Is sad and tragic reality. No dignity, and apparently no love form family members who cannot or choose not to care for them anymore. I thought the music was excellent, the acting very good, I could care less about the lighting or film angles, it was the story i enjoyed. Please don't be harsh about this movie. It should be getting better rating. Louis Gossett dies a great job being a Patient. Would you rather live out he end of your life in joyous memories or in a cold un-loving darkness?

Good story, good soundtrack, some good acting, but why is almost every scene in shade and out of focus? Engaging Canadian drama but very hard to watch.

I really wanted to love this film, but after shelling out $4.99 on Prime to see it, my take is that this film is full of IDEAS about Cuba and Cubans through the lens of an American writer and a Canadian/Italian director.

The flashbacks are impressive flashy caricatures, but lack authenticity. Unfortunately so are many of the present-day characters.

This film strives to manipulate emotions, which sometimes works, and frequently tastes like sugary LifetimeTV soda pop left out overnight: lukewarm and lacking fizz.

There are wonderful performances by a brilliant cast, but the script lets them down.

The Cuban is one of the best films I have seen in a long time! The story is heartwrenching and Louis Gossett Jr. does an amazing job playing the main character. The exposition of the story is incredible and I loved how Ana Golja's character storyline intertwines with Louis Gossett Jr's to show the importance of friendship and music. The question of following the rules vs. trying to inspire passion in a person is a great subtheme of the movie and even with such a sad story, the ending was beautiful and made me cry happy tears.

A proudly Canadian indie drama about the powers of music and its ability to transcend disease, age, religion, culture, gender, and pretty much any other construct/label you can imagine! You smile as much as you cry, which lends fantastically toward the film's authenticity. It resonates with a sympathy that crosses many barriers. It is rich in acting ability, observational detail, and emotional focus!

One of the things I appreciate most about this film is that writer Alessandra Piccione and Director Sergio Navaretta don't tread delicately in presenting the physical, mental and emotional tolls that both Dementia and Alzheimer's disease take not only on the afflicted individual but on everyone who comes close to that person.

All character dynamics are handled with fierce skill and keen eyes for nuance. It is obvious the entire cast and crew worked tirelessly on character development! The production team's effort behind this movie is clearly a force to be reckoned with!

Louis Gosset Jr's performance as Luis Garcia is poignantly perfect. He depicts an elderly Cuban musician (a legend of sorts much like the actor is) who is battling dementia and Alzheimer's disease. One of the main settings is a long term care facility/nursing home where Luis' family has all but banished him to live out the remainder of his life. It is here that he encounters young Mina.

Ana Golja's character Mina is a nursing student. She wastes very little time creating a vivid memory centre of sorts for Mr. Garcia by resurrecting memories of his musical past via lively Cuban jazz. In return...he renews her passion in life through him - music.

Shohreh Aghdashloo plays the nursing home's administrator, Bano Ayoub - an Afghani immigrant who shows a professional detachment from the residents. She flirts masterfully with hot and cold emotions toward her niece Mina (and more importantly, toward her love interest - a non-Muslim student named Kris portrayed by Giacomo Gianniotti). She pushes her niece to go to medical school and Golja skillfully portrays underlying resentment toward her aunt's decisions about her own life's purpose.

The cinematography/visual effects are outstanding! Whether on a Brantford, Ontario terrace, or on a Cuban streetscape, there are several "gasp-worthy" moments in the film. The use of vintage lenses when the film pans back decade to Luis's life in Cuba was a stellar artistic choice! I adore the effect! Well done.

Editing...I can only imagine the cutting room floor for this film! They say the Editor's job is never done, but man does she nail it! Jane MacRae...your work doesn't go unnoticed by us layman types (moviegoers)! 😊

The most riveting aspect of the film for me was carefully observing Gosset, Gianniotti and Golj's characters - trying to figure out who is the teacher and who is the student in any given scene kept me glued to the screen! The role reversals truly are a merry-go-round of wonder and delight!

Keep an eye on The Cuban. It just may steal more than your heart!

As the director of mambo Man film myself, I found The Cuban beautifully filmed. The lighting was perfect, the story followed all the way through. There was not one moment that I could leave and go to make a cup of coffee. I watched it all in one go to the end and honestly thought it was one of the best films I have seen. It has emotions, sensitivity and above all element of human. Watch it to judge for yourself as I am not going to give anything away! I watch lots of film and 99 times out of 100, I give up after few minutes!

I loved this film! The acting is amazing - the music itself was its own character (I've already downloaded the soundtrack!) and the storyline is relatable for many. The writing was real and kept you engaged. I haven't seen a film that can do it all, in such a long time. Bravo to all those who brought this film to life!

Watched The Cuban, a beautiful touching film filled with compassion, heartfelt music and inspiration. Lou Gossett Jr and Ana Golja give riveting performances.

The Cuban is a movie that when you finish watching the closing credits you will want to discuss it with others right away! It will "stick" with you - as the story line is incredible and so layered. Plus, the music and dancing is very powerful - as if it is another character included in this already super talented cast! Bravo to all as this cast truly is exceptional as they tackle some very challenging subject matter. But, extra kudos to Louis Gossett Jr. who portrays a person at the end stages of his life with such zeal and raw honesty. And, I would be remiss not to mention the writing and directing of this film - very much deserves an overflow of accolades as The Cuban is a beautifully written and filmed story.

Lastly, I highly recommend that this film be viewed by anyone involved with elder care and people who help those with memory loss, including family members. And... yes, The Cuban will "stick" with me for years to come! A true "10"!

Just watched The Cuban on the super channel last night and it's a beautiful movie about the power of music and hope! I was born and raised in Brantford and It's also a love letter to our city and having done through a parent having vascular dementia, this film touched my heart ! Bravo! Great cast and a timely poignant story-a must see!