“Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (Lions Gate Films)
“Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” is a distant cousin to the original “Dirty Dancing.” Their stories are similar, and Patrick Swayze appears in both, but the sultry Spanish music of Havana is as different from the hard driving beat of the Catskills as well, day and night.
This film takes place in 1958 and its locale is Havana, Cuba. Eighteen year old Katie (Romola Garai) has come to Havana with her parents (Seal Ward and John Slattery) and her sister Susie (Mika Boreem) because of her father’s job.
Shortly after she arrives she meets the other kids from the States. They are a snobby little group, which Katie definitely isn’t. She does make friends with James (Jonathan Jackson) who seems to be taken with her. Katie likes him as a friend, but her eye is taken by the busboy at the hotel where she is staying. His name is Xavier (Diego Luna) and he seems to personify everything she likes about Cuba.
Xavier and Katie decide to enter a dance contest. The prize is five thousand dollars and this will help Xavier and his family flee Cuba. Katie doesn’t tell her parents for she doesn’t think they will approve.
The best part of the film is the dancing. Garai and Luna are a perfect match on the dance floor and give the numbers a sensuous quality. The rest of the story is mundane but it is interesting enough to keep your attention between musical treats.
Patrick Swayze has a cameo as a dance instructor. He is a little older than he was in the original “Dirty Dancing” but he still has the good moves. Now if they could only have gotten Jennifer Grey to drop by too.
For a film that takes place in the fifties, Katie’s parents are certainly lax about keeping up with their daughter. She manages to stay out overnight a couple of times but they don’t seem to be very concerned about it.
The film is rated PG-13 for sensuality and some profanity.
Garai and Luna are a good team and should please the audience that comes to this film. They know their dance numbers and they seem to be thoroughly enjoying each other. That makes the movie fun and that is all this movie needs to be.
I scored “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” a sure footed 5 out of 10.
