In the 1987 "Dirty Dancing" and 2004's
Havana-set remake, the settings of the stories
are virtually the same except in their
particulars: A Catskills resort, a Havana hotel;
pre-JFK assassination America, pre-Batista
overthrow Cuba. In each, a quiet young rich
girl with a thirst for life--then Jennifer Grey,
now Romola Garai--meets up with a
working-class lad fired by a
love for
music--then Patrick Swayze, now Diego
Luna--and learns the ways of the dance floor
and of romance. Both tales are said to be
based, in some way, on real events.
A key difference is that, in the new "Dirty
Dancing: Havana Nights," Garai's character
has a background that explains why she takes
to the art so quickly: Her parents were dancers
in their youth. But another key difference is that
only in the new film does, to all appearances,
the leader of a country decide to flee his nation
because he hears that a waiter has a gun--in
a scene in which Luna's rebel brother,
unsuccessfully trying his way with revolution,
manages to disrupt the dance contest for
which Garai's and Luna's characters have
toiled so long and hard to win. It's rather as if,
in the "Dirty Dancing" climax, instead of
equipoising high above Johnny Castle Baby
had crashed to the floor.
To that late point, however, "Dirty Dancing:
Havana Nights" in director Guy Ferland's
hands evokes its colorful and tumultuous
landscape with the same era-capturing
effectiveness as did the late Emile Ardolino in
his earlier work. Garai, ardent and argent as
always, brings the same lusty sweetness to
her character as did Grey. Luna, though
lacking the pro dancer's moves of a Swayze,
offers a human warmth; for those missing the
man who was Johnny Castle, Swayze--still in
fine form--makes an appearance as, you
guessed it, a dance teacher for mostly
matronly females.
Starring Romola
Garai, Diego Luna, Sela
Ward, John Slattery and Mika Boorem.
Directed by Guy Ferland. Written by Boaz Yakin
and Victoria Arch. Produced by Lawrence
Bender and Sarah Green. A Lions Gate
release. Romance. Rated PG-13 for
sensuality. Running time: 86 min
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