I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Interesting that the Executive Producer here is Benicio del Toro... he's from Puerto Rico, and this story takes place in Cuba. We learn right at the beginning that our hero Jesus (Héctor Medina) has no family, and is trying to earn a living as a hairdresser, but its not enough. He auditions at a friend's club in a drag number, but its rough going, and there seems to be a lot of competition. (who knew there was that much competition for drag queens in Havana ?) The other performers try to help him, but its an uphill climb. Has the usual themes of hairdressing, prison, and shaky-family connections that one finds in films by Paddy Breathnach. Papa suddenly comes back into his life and just gets in the way, a drunken mess. Won't let Jesus perform. The film is quite good; we get a good idea of life in Havana, what life is like for one group of LGBT folks. The music is excellent, the script, acting, all very high quality. Will Jesus have the strength to do what he wants (needs) to do to survive? A couple twists in here, just to spice things up. Incredible acting by Medina... you totally feel his pain all through the film. All the acting is top notch. Highly recommend this one.

I thought this was a very good movie. First it showed how homosexuals have their own community in Havana, free health care where the care is good and you have to bring your own food, what it is to be poor in Havana, what it is to turn male tricks on and on. The music was good and the performances of the drag queens too. The actors were good too.I did not understand why he let his train wreck of a father stay but someone who had no father when they were growing up said it was clear to him that any relationship was better than none. So I am going to have my son watch it. I am not sure why anyone would say it was run of the mill father son stuff as I found it unpredictable. Maybe they were unhappy that the end was not miserable.

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.

At the screening, the director, Paddy gave an introduction about his personal experience with seeing a drag performance years ago where an individual was having the best time of their lives. He said that those who knew the performer were crying due to the fact that that was the only place this individual could truly be who they were. That introduction set the mood for the movie. I'm afraid if I wasn't lucky enough to have the director give some backstory I would've liked it less. The beginning of the film had a few clichés. A troubled protagonist unsure of how to make money, family issues, shopping in record stores. As it went on the clichés dwindled, immersing the audience in Cuba. Our main character's routine continued, and I found myself falling more into his psyche. His family issues became more relevant, his troubles were mine, and even the records had an important role in the story. By the end people around me were weeping.The only note I had was that there were a handful of times where moments should've been longer. Just an extra few seconds on those emotional scenes would've gone a long way. Not sure if that's a directing or editing critique. I'm afraid of using an incorrect term here, so forgive me if I do. But as LGBT rights continue to finally be as important as they should've been decades ago, it's great to see more films like this, especially when they are well done. I hope this film gets the recognition it deserves.