Reviews

The first thing that knocks you out is the cinematography. It is a marvel how they can pull that off in a run-down, old, desolate place like Old Havana. But besides the obvious drag-queen story there is a very realistic depiction of life in Havana which, although touched up a bit, still gives the viewer a sense of how it really is. Well-known Cuban actors Luis Alberto Garcia (unrecognizable in drag) and Jorge Perugorría give excellent performances, but the star is newcomer Hector Medina. The only low point of the movie is the subtitle translation which does not do justice to the writing. I'm not sure how this film will play in Peoria, but in Miami's Little Havana where I saw it today it did just fine.

Many other bands have played in Cuba. Off the top of my head, Billy Joel played in the Havana Jam in 1979. It is a common misconception, shared by even the New York Times (see the article by Peter Watrous dated 2/15/99).

And another thing: the purpose of the embargo is not to isolate Cuba from the US, it is to stop aid to a sworn enemy of the USA. It is Cuba who blocks or censors any foreign influence. The embargo is used by Cuba to justify everything from infant mortality to the crumbling infrastructure of the country. In fact, the US government has allowed sales of food to Cuba to the tune of over a billion dollars in the last 5 years, the problem is that Cuba does not want to pay cash and is looking for monetary aid to keep a disastrous form of government afloat.

"¿Qué Pasa, U.S.A.?" is much more than a TV sitcom. It is a veritable documentary of life in 1970's Miami, before Mariel, drug wars and the information age. It provides glimpses into the many cultures that make up our city, from the obvious transplanted Cubans to the blacks to the Jews, upper and middle class (we have no lower class in Miami ;-),old and young, every character represents a familiar relative, neighbor or acquaintance. At that time, most Cubans had been in Miami for less than 20 years, and the hope of a return to a free Cuba still burned in our hearts. In a bittersweet way, that explains the strong resistance of the first generation to assimilate into the culture and the amusing conflicts between them and the second generation. With its universal themes and unique local flavor, it is a definite "must see", especially now that the entire series has been released on DVD.