El techo (2016) User Reviews

Up the Ladder to the Roof

[EdgarST · 8/10 · 6 December 2017]

In the chorus of one of the most beautiful song hits by The Supremes, a woman invites her lover "Up the ladder to the roof / Where we can see heaven much better / Up the ladder to the roof / Where we can be closer to heaven". It is this closeness to heaven, to the limpid sunny skies of La Habana (shot from many different roofs that, together, create a very different cinematic space from the ones that we consume in everyday film constructions) what makes "The Roof" a curio. It is a strange film that escapes from the stifling daily life of scarcity, impotence and disenchantment, unlike other works that also speak of the debris of a beautiful island with a damaged social fiber, as "El hormiguero", "La obra del siglo", "Melaza", "Juan de los muertos", "Persona", "Chamaco", "Conducta" and even, beneath the ornaments, "La trucha" and "Caballos"). "El techo" tries to take wing in the midst of that reality which you cannot escape even on top of the highest skyscraper, in search of the breath of life. Sometimes it fleetingly succeeds, sometimes (fortunately, the least) it navigates aimlessly, from a script that resorts to musical montages that lengthen the filmic time, but contribute little to expose or elucidate the disappointment. Or perhaps they merit a different reading as if they were "recesses", truces, pauses before the exhausting and pressing verification of neediness, to be able to live with some dignity. Three young people live in the middle of the debris; they operate on the roofs of La Habana, without finding directions or answers. Vito dreams of being a foreigner from Sicilia. Anita expects the child of a faceless father and answers calls from her mother in the United States. Yasmani breeds pigeons and pushes his two friends to find outlets, through an improvised pizzeria or through the birds, in efforts without consequences: in the end, the three lose the round of 75 minutes until the credits roll up. There is no exit. Not even on Vito's trip to Sicilia, surrounded by people that are probably not his relatives... but so what?, if life on the roof challenges the gravity of an environment without prospects for innovation. A chorus of characters add spice to the story: the retired father of Yasmani, who refuses to stand up; Vito's grandmother, who he cannot tell if she is lying or not, a deaf neighbor, a sexy neighbor, a rival pigeon breeder... In the central role of Yasmani, Enmanuel Galbán stands out. With expert guide and grooming --with every new film, every stage play or experiment leading to artistic maturity-- Galbán could become a prominent actor: he has the voice, strength and resources, as Mastroianni or Finney did. Andrea Doimeadiós as Anita is always correct, but her role is more passive witness than active participant, and Jonathan Navarro faces the role of Vito, which sometimes borders the limits of caricature. However, the three young people maintain the same level of quality, as well as Noslen Sánchez in the role of El Yeti, a fleeting character, a re-seller of objects of dubious origin. With the bonus of fine cinematography by Alán González, director-screenwriter Patricia Ramos released her first feature without fireworks or controversy, but "El techo" is promising and it reveals a position before the world that, with greater elaboration of the story and good fortune, will add an attractive feminine point of view in Cuban cinema.

Authentic Havana (La Habana Autentico)

[rkuehling · 10/10 · 13 November 2017]

I viewed this movie in a Cuban theater on Calle 23 while studying Spanish at the University of Havana. It was shot in that same general location, the Vedado area, and local landmarks are clearly visible.

This movie shows Cuba as it really is. No tourist convertibles driving along the Malecon. No fancy restaurants. Instead it shows the lives and real life struggles of young Cubans trying to better themselves in an often hopeless environment. Interesting, moving, authentic.