The Lost City (2005)

The Lost City looked like it would be a decent movie however I found to be overlong, boring, and worthy of putting you to sleep.Andy Garcia is a likable actor, however he alone can not even redeem this movie. Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray and Steven Bauer are not much help either.I can't even describe the story either, I just found myself at a loss for words at what the movie is about. Upon reading the synopsis I found myself saying, "Oh, so that's what it's all about".Sorry, but I just could not find this movie to be engaging at all. I found myself lost in this boring drama.A total waste of time and effort.1/10.

When you ask yourself while watching a movie "OH GOD.. When will it end ?" To discover later that you were right in the middle of it, then.. This is heavy.The story is good, with touching characters. It has the criticisms against the Cuban revelation's start, told from the rich people's point of view; hence caustic and bitter as far as it can be. Being long was caused mainly by the thickness of the story and the years it covers. So what's really heavy about it ? I think some moments could have been cut. I suppose the endless shots for Garcia playing the piano whenever he's sad, the brother's regret over his dead uncle in the church along with the scene of judging him (shooting himself later is enough dramatically and artistically), like half of the photomontage in which the lead was enjoying his love with every beautiful place in Cuba, or some of the last song. Anyhow, more work had to be done in the editing room.Some matters were vague; the way the main character's love lives with the leaders of the revolution (so, was she a whore ?!), who bombed the casino if the mob didn't ?! And I didn't quite get the matter of the handkerchief on the shoulder ? Was that a gesture to imply how embarrassed the lead was, at first, of loving his late brother's girl ? And if it was, then were all of the dancing girls inappropriate lovers for the men they were dancing with ?! Sometimes the piano music got on my nerves, like uncreative improvisations were being loose non-stop annoyingly. The soundtrack is heaped up with old Cubin tracks. They are all sweet no doubt, nevertheless still heaped up soundtrack. And by the way I hated putting dancing music to the scene of butchering the lead's brother. I didn't get the reason of such an artistic touch, unless it was done for pure sadistic purpose.And then, the matter of casting newcomers. Sure they did it good, but being not that charismatic led to a fact where Garcia was the only one to be watched for the whole time. Another factor of bore. The notion of making such a movie pushes you to respect its star / director Andy Garcia for. Since he didn't go to make an assured comedy or action in Hollywood. The man got another agenda. However as a director he didn't impress me. On one side he overdid using the close and medium shots, so it felt too TV-ish. And on the other, his cadre was nice but with not much action in it. Look at the scene of murdering the uncle, by confiscating his farm. It was inactive, rather coldly usual. I felt that there was more care of "lovely" and "colorful" but not the same with "intense" and "active".Though, as an actor he's fine. He reminds me more of the Eastern actors, whereas he's passionate, with everything inside of him must be shown in a way or another. Yet, he still Western as well, with the method of using a sigh, side-glance, or a moment of blazing silence. I know that a lot of Americans may not appreciate him for that Eastern part. While the same thing could be considered awfully romantic for others. Many lines from the dialog got me. The movie is a bit poetic when it comes to express; namely short and into the point softly. However, still Murray, as the nameless careless buddy, is the best element this movie has. His cynical persona worked finely like happy face for the lead's alienation, alienation based on the desire to live free in newly-restricted world, being lost with his freedom or due to it. Murray's serene acting sounded like no acting, as something truer; which is a top any actor must dream of.For most of the time this movie slumps. It has unmistakable sense of heaviness. (The Lost City) could have been made as TV-mini series, or more catchy movie. But not like this, dear Andy. P.S : Putting the real stock shots of executing the revolution's protesters was gruesomely shocking. It scars the innocent viewers who, in their wildest Tarantino nightmares, didn't expect seeing actual killing like this. Makes you think, so furiously, while this is rated R, there must be a higher rating for images like that. Because truly, what could be more inhuman ?!

Very very boring!Despite some historical background, with some real scenes, including executions at the "Paredon", the central characters are very unreal. Fico is portrayed as dreamer with no sins, and so is his nightclub. The dialogs are definitively to long. The development of the movie is to slow, and it will be hard to stay awake 143 minutes watching this boring stuff. What is Bill Murray doing there? Why Aurora get suddenly so deeply engaged with Fidel's politics, when in the life time of her husband she wouldn't know anything about the revolution?Beside the critics, the movie has some nice scenes, and the short acting of Dustin Hoffman as Mayer Lansky is quite good.I give 4/10. If you like Cuban musicals, may be you will give the movie a better rating.

I have finally decided to post here and especially regarding this "movie". first of all, short disclaimer if required; i am not biased simply because i am not Cuban, but i have visited the country a few times and READ its history from many points of view.also i am Caucasian.1st issue---ALL actors in the movie are WHITE the only exception being the musical stuff( frankly i find that outright racist ESPECIALLy when referring to a well mixed Latin country. i mean 99.99 % Cubans have at least someone of color or mixed in the family). to make matter worse i see that this REALITY CHECK aspect of the movie has been ignored across the board from newspaper reviews to the ones included here. this is the main reason that i found out that Cubans themselves on the island find this movie insulting regardless of their thoughts on Castro regime.2nd issue --- the whole movie deals with the suffering of a WEALTHY family + the movie makes out of the worst gangster in Cuban history someone that i am being almost literally told that i should LIKE.overall to me Andy Garcia has hit the BOTTOM in my favorites actors following this spectacular piece of mindless propaganda. bluntly insulting to me as a traveler that , like many others, has had the chance to see the facts from an outside perspective,the "bad" as much as the "good".