The Miami International Film Festival could not have picked a better opening-night film. At last night’s Gusman Gala premiere in downtown Miami, it was a scene of chaos amid the sprawling red carpet and popping cameras. Clogged with people, the venue ran late – no surprise there – and the film didn’t start until about a half-hour behind schedule. But when it finally did, the experience was pure bliss: unadulterated, uncynical movie magic, both delightfully old-fashioned and hiply postmodern.
The movie was “Chico and Rita,†and I urge you to mark this one down and remember it if and when it receives a broad theatrical release. It’s the latest in the ongoing trend of adult animated features; behind “The Illusionist†and “My Dog Tulip,†it’s the third to show in South Florida this year alone. With the epic narrative sweep of a live-action blockbuster, it follows the lifelong, on-again off-again romance of the titular characters, a Cuban bebop pianist and a jazz singer. Despite perpetually screwing up their blossoming relationship, Chico harbors a flame only for Rita. So when Rita’s looks and talent catapult her to Broadway and Hollywood, Chico dutifully follows.
These fictional characters wind up collaborating with real people – Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Marlon Brandon appear in animated form – and real events, with Castro’s Cuban Revolution having unintended consequences on Havana’s rich jazz heritage. The narrative of “Chico and Rita†is ultimately conventional and sentimental, and if it were a live-action movie, it might feel like old hat. But as a cartoon, it’s fresh, exciting and very much alive – a motley love story suffused with the magic of music, movies and choreography even in the few scenes that don’t address these subjects directly. By the end, there were, I would imagine, few dry eyes in the Gusman auditorium.
The movie’s Latin ambiance extended to the opening-night party, a few blocks away, at the Freedom Tower on Biscayne Boulevard. The social event of the festival, it was a great after-party, with live Latin music and sporadically placed bars offering beer, wine and mojitos. Judging by the numerous abandoned plates full of food, I wasn’t the only guest to be disappointed bythat element of the party. But Chico and Rita no doubt would have had a blast there.
