Chico and Rita is such a charming and delightful film. It has a lot going against it in the American market – it’s a full-length animated film for adults that’s mainly in Spanish – but it’s got so much more going for it. Set in the late 40s and early 50s, Chico and Rita takes us back to a Havana where the people were vibrant and the music poured out the streets. It’s a quintessential love story between a budding starlet and a typical player (both piano player and woman player). The animation style is simple yet contains a lot of emotion and depth. It takes a little getting used to, but once you sink into the visuals, audio, and story – you’ll fall in love.
Chico and Rita is nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards and already has won Best Animated Feature Film at the European Film Awards and Best Animated Film at the Goya Awards. At first, the movie seems like a regular cutesy animated tale about the everlasting chase between a man and a woman. But once the music starts and you hear Rita sing for the first time, that all changes. Every time there was a performance in the movie, I wanted to clap with the animated audience members on screen. The only music better than the performances was the soundtrack of the rest of the movie. This honestly was my favorite musical of recent years. And thankfully, it’s foot-tapping Cuban jazz rather than Broadway tunes.
Rita on the mic
Aforementioned, the animation style is a bit different. It feels like everything is slowed down a little too much and takes a bit of time to get used to. However, there’s a car chase early on in the film and that swept me away. It’s incredibly fluid and creative and shows that this movie isn’t just about the musical accomplishment but it stands on its own animated merits as well. Estudio Mariscal (led by Javier Mariscal) was the main studio that worked on this project and they did an amazing job. There’s also a dream segment which switches the style up a bit which was fun to watch and see a contrast in animation.
Chico and Rita
Let’s get back to the music. Bebo Valdés, a Cuban composer and pianist, took reins on the original soundtrack. It features music by Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie and Freddy Cole. Rita was voiced by Limara Meneses – and boy, what a mesmerising voice she has! The story pays tribute to countless prominent musicians including Chucho Valdés, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Chano Pozo, Tito Puente, Ben Webster, and Thelonious Monk. Especially Chano Pozo…you respect Chano Pozo. Not only is Chico and Rita a heartening, dramatic, and powerful love story, but it’s a history lesson in music and the fusion of big band, jazz, and Latin influence.
The composition of Love
After hitting the festival circuit, being released in markets around the world, and winning various awards, Chino and Rita finally opens up in select cities in the United States. Each week, the film opens up in more and more cities so check your local listings. It’s definitely worth checking out and getting a glimpse of the lifestyles back in the day. The movie doesn’t only transpire in Cuba but they take you to New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood, and even Paris where you meet Lily. Did I forget to mention that the script is really funny too? Go seek out the original version of this film before they dub it with the likes of Wendell Pierce, Mary J. Blige, Rob Riggle, Chris Pine, and Viola Davis…and then go see that version too!
Tags: Bebo Valdés, Ben Webster, Chano Pozo, Charlie Parker, Chico & Rita, Chico and Rita, Chico y Rita, Chris Pine, Chucho Valdés, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Estudio Mariscal, Freddy Cole, Javier Mariscal, Limara Meneses, Mary J. Blige, Rob Riggle, Thelonious Monk, Tito Puente, Viola Davis, Wendell Pierce
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
