Rating: 
Summary: Great despite yet another misleading US cover box...
Review: Okay, never mind the big quote on the coverbox calling this movie "a breezy charmer." It's anything but, thank you very much. This misdirection continues the fine tradition of vapid US marketers thinking they need to cloak serious foreign movies as wacky comedies in order to get people here to buy or rent them. [Other egregious examples include "East is East" and "Brassed Off."] That out of the way, this is a great film about very serious subjects - homosexuality in the face of repression, depression, expulsion, threat of jail, attempts at suicide, etc. A great take on life under Castro by directors Juan Carlos Tabío and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. The film itself is a tour de force by Jorge Perugorría as the openly gay Diego. And if you don't think that's great acting, I suggest you follow up this movie with Tabío & Gutiérrez Alea's last joint effort, 'Guantanamera,' in which Perugorría goes completely to the other end of the spectrum with an excellent portrayal of a macho truck driver.
Rating:
Summary: Great despite yet another misleading US cover box...
Review: Okay, never mind the big quote on the coverbox calling this movie "a breezy charmer." It's anything but, thank you very much. This misdirection continues the fine tradition of vapid US marketers thinking they need to cloak serious foreign movies as wacky comedies in order to get people here to buy or rent them. [Other egregious examples include "East is East" and "Brassed Off."] That out of the way, this is a great film about very serious subjects - homosexuality in the face of repression, depression, expulsion, threat of jail, attempts at suicide, etc. A great take on life under Castro by directors Juan Carlos Tabío and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. The film itself is a tour de force by Jorge Perugorría as the openly gay Diego. And if you don't think that's great acting, I suggest you follow up this movie with Tabío & Gutiérrez Alea's last joint effort, 'Guantanamera,' in which Perugorría goes completely to the other end of the spectrum with an excellent portrayal of a macho truck driver.
Rating:
Summary: Political Foreign Foray With Pathos And Passion
Review: Set in Cuba, this Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, vividly depicts the growing friendship between Diego (Perrugoria), flamboyantly gay and involved in the arts, and David (Cruz), a college student who has never questioned the ruling regime. After picking David up at a Havana ice-cream parlor, Diego fails at bedding him but quickly seduces him intellectually, opening David's eyes to the world of art and literature that exists outside the constricted bounds of officially approved thinking. Often gently amusing, Strawberry (subtitled in English) works well, spotlighting its political agenda as well as its human storytelling. The film really comes to life every time Diego's hip-shaking neighbor Nancy (Ibarra), who also develops the hots for David, rumbas through the door. Strawberry & Chocolate was shot on location in Havana, and one of the movie's chief pleasures is the glimpses it offers of everyday life there: vintage cars lumbering down the streets, public beaches, cramped apartments in once grand but now crumbling buildings. A fine foreign film glimpsing farther inside Cuban poltics with pathos and passion.
Rating: 
Summary: Four stars for the movie, two for the DVD
Review: STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE [Fresa y Chocolate] (Cuba/Mexico/Spain 1992): Used as an unwitting pawn by his pro-revolutionary colleagues, naive student David (Vladmir Cruz) is encouraged to develop a platonic relationship with flamboyant gay artist Diego (Jorge Perugorria), whose political allegiances have fallen under suspicion. But as their friendship deepens, David is transformed by Diego's resistance to the Cuban regime, even as the forces of oppression begin to close around them. Though based on a short story ('El Lobo, el Bosque y el Hombre Nuevo') by screenwriter Senel Paz which explores opposite ends of a political ideology, knowledge of recent Cuban history isn't a prerequisite for viewers of STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE, a small gem from co-directors Tomas Gutierrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabio. Far from a mere political tract, this is a joyous celebration of life and non-conformity, distinguished by Perugorria's extraordinary performance as the camp but dignified Diego, who rejects his friend's unquestioning loyalty to the Cuban political system that is stifling their beloved homeland. Their budding relationship is complicated by Diego's unrequited love for David, depicted here with remarkable honesty and compassion, particularly for a mainstream film. But it's their political differences which ultimately unite the two characters, even as Diego is forced to reap the whirlwind of his public defiance. Much of the narrative unfolds within Diego's crumbling apartment building, where David enjoys a liaison with flaky neighbor Nancy (Mirta Ibarra), who introduces the inexperienced student to the joys of sexual liberation! It isn't a terribly cinematic film, but production values are solid, and the characters are so vivid, and played with such integrity, it hardly matters; this is a movie in which ideas take precedence over action, and the emotional payoff is quite powerful indeed. Beautiful music score by Jose Maria Vitier, too. Now the bad news: Buena Vista's DVD version is incomplete, missing approximately six minutes of footage. Absent material includes a brief conversation about racism during David's first visit to Diego's apartment, and a sad little sequence in which the two characters pretend not to notice each other after meeting by accident in a bookstore. These revisions were perpetrated before the film's North American theatrical release by Buena Vista's 'art-house' subsidiary Miramax, a company which is notorious for the cavalier manner in which it treats its foreign acquisitions (their version of THE HORSEMAN ON THE ROOF is similarly incomplete). The alterations imposed on STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE seem completely arbitrary, and demonstrate little more than contempt for American audiences. For the record, the UK video version runs 105m 51s at 25fps in the PAL format, which corresponds to 110m 15s at the original 24fps. There are no extras, not even a trailer (there's a puff-piece which trumpets Miramax's involvement in a 'golden age' of cinema, which is ironic given the way they treat their movies). So, four stars for the movie, two for the DVD, and only because the sound and picture quality are so good, despite a worrying amount of grain in the film's opening sequence. The running time quoted below doesn't include the Miramax/Robert Redford logos which open the US DVD print and weren't part of the original film. 103m 53s
1.85:1 / Anamorphically enhanced
Dolby Surround 2.0
Ultra Stereo [theatrical]
Spanish soundtrack
Optional English subtitles
Region 1
Rating:
Summary: Four stars for the movie, two for the DVD
Review: STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE [Fresa y Chocolate] (Cuba/Mexico/Spain 1992): Used as an unwitting pawn by his pro-revolutionary colleagues, naive student David (Vladmir Cruz) is encouraged to develop a platonic relationship with flamboyant gay artist Diego (Jorge Perugorria), whose political allegiances have fallen under suspicion. But as their friendship deepens, David is transformed by Diego's resistance to the Cuban regime, even as the forces of oppression begin to close around them. Though based on a short story ('El Lobo, el Bosque y el Hombre Nuevo') by screenwriter Senel Paz which explores opposite ends of a political ideology, knowledge of recent Cuban history isn't a prerequisite for viewers of STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE, a small gem from co-directors Tomas Gutierrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabio. Far from a mere political tract, this is a joyous celebration of life and non-conformity, distinguished by Perugorria's extraordinary performance as the camp but dignified Diego, who rejects his friend's unquestioning loyalty to the Cuban political system that is stifling their beloved homeland. Their budding relationship is complicated by Diego's unrequited love for David, depicted here with remarkable honesty and compassion, particularly for a mainstream film. But it's their political differences which ultimately unite the two characters, even as Diego is forced to reap the whirlwind of his public defiance. Much of the narrative unfolds within Diego's crumbling apartment building, where David enjoys a liaison with flaky neighbor Nancy (Mirta Ibarra), who introduces the inexperienced student to the joys of sexual liberation! It isn't a terribly cinematic film, but production values are solid, and the characters are so vivid, and played with such integrity, it hardly matters; this is a movie in which ideas take precedence over action, and the emotional payoff is quite powerful indeed. Beautiful music score by Jose Maria Vitier, too. Now the bad news: Buena Vista's DVD version is incomplete, missing approximately six minutes of footage. Absent material includes a brief conversation about racism during David's first visit to Diego's apartment, and a sad little sequence in which the two characters pretend not to notice each other after meeting by accident in a bookstore. These revisions were perpetrated before the film's North American theatrical release by Buena Vista's 'art-house' subsidiary Miramax, a company which is notorious for the cavalier manner in which it treats its foreign acquisitions (their version of THE HORSEMAN ON THE ROOF is similarly incomplete). The alterations imposed on STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE seem completely arbitrary, and demonstrate little more than contempt for American audiences. For the record, the UK video version runs 105m 51s at 25fps in the PAL format, which corresponds to 110m 15s at the original 24fps. There are no extras, not even a trailer (there's a puff-piece which trumpets Miramax's involvement in a 'golden age' of cinema, which is ironic given the way they treat their movies). So, four stars for the movie, two for the DVD, and only because the sound and picture quality are so good, despite a worrying amount of grain in the film's opening sequence. The running time quoted below doesn't include the Miramax/Robert Redford logos which open the US DVD print and weren't part of the original film. 103m 53s
1.85:1 / Anamorphically enhanced
Dolby Surround 2.0
Ultra Stereo [theatrical]
Spanish soundtrack
Optional English subtitles
Region 1
Rating: 
Summary: Strawberry and Chocolate
Review: Strawberry and chocolate, I found to be enjoyable and moving. It's surface is presented humorously, while serious issues are the underlying foundation of the film. The friendship between the two main characters, and the confict of a nation in distress create a link between two seemingly unrelated issues. The casting is a defenite film strength, although the occasional use of unusual focal points are visually distracting. However, with dialoge, script and happy camera placemment, the film is well worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Strawberry and Chocolate
Review: Strawberry and chocolate, I found to be enjoyable and moving. It's surface is presented humorously, while serious issues are the underlying foundation of the film. The friendship between the two main characters, and the confict of a nation in distress create a link between two seemingly unrelated issues. The casting is a defenite film strength, although the occasional use of unusual focal points are visually distracting. However, with dialoge, script and happy camera placemment, the film is well worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful film that transcends stereotypes
Review: The Cuban film, "Fresa y Chocolate," is the story of friendship between a young student (a loyal member of the Communist Party), and a gay political activist, who is critical of the government's censorship. It is an amazing film for a number of reasons. First, it presents a balanced and somewhat critical view of the Cuban political system. This is surprising since it was co-produced by ICAIC, essentially the official Cuban film production company. Second, though the main characters start out as stereotypes, they develop into very real people who go beyond what the audience would expect. Considered by many to have been a major catalyst in improving the treatment of gays in Cuba; this film presents a rich and interesting view of Cuban society.
Rating:
Summary: Great story!
Review: The movie catches your attention right from the beginning. You will love finding out which way the movie turns next. All the characters shine and one man finds out that it is okay to think for yourself and to stand up for your beliefs no matter what cost.
Rating:
Summary: MUY BUENA, GOOD DRAMA FOR INTELLIGENT PEOPLE!
Review: This is a movie about friendship, love, and what's politically correct(literally!) and what's not. A broken hearted culturally challenged, conservative heterosexual student is befriended by a well read, idealistic artist who wants to be as free as he feels. They start off in the wrong foot, but slowly a mutual respect and friendship develops between the two. This is a movie where the characters do evolve and grow by the end of the film. This is a film for broad minded people, who will watch it to the end before deciding if they like it or not. This is a study in human relations under social/political opression.
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