Cuban Fury – Film Review

Nick Frost stars as Bruce Garrett, a former salsa prodigy whose career was ruined by a freakish bullying incident at the age of 13.

Now, 22 years later, Bruce is tubby and unloved. But the arrival of Julia (Rashida Jones) at work as his smart new American boss, gives him reason to live. She secretly loves to salsa but so does the obnoxious Drew (Chris O’Dowd), the odious office horn-dog, who fancies his chances with Julia.

So now to woo and wow Julia, Bruce attempts a comeback, with his feisty sister Sam (Olivia Colman) as partner, but he needs help from his disagreeable old mentor, Ian McShane.

This Britcom is so old-fashioned I kept expecting Morecambe and Wise to appear, and Benny Hill to star. It tries so damned hard to be funny that I truly felt bad about never laughing at all. Non-demanding comedy to the nth degree, it could at least be said to be inoffensive, if it weren’t for the rancid performance of Kayvan Novak as the outrageously camp stereotype Bejan whom Bruce meets at salsa class. This is a horrible, hateful performance that sets British comedy back to the bad old days of the 70s and Are You Being Served and It Ain’t ‘Alf Hot Mum. It’s not Novak’s fault, it’s how it’s written by TV veteran Jon Brown.

Frost, Jones, O’Dowd and Colman give good-natured, game performances. But some of the other turns are very ropey. McShane and Rory Kinnear as Bruce’s buddy Gary have a lot to do but aren’t at all funny. Essentially Frost is a star character actor, or half of a double act, and not a movie star, so carrying the entire film is a bit of a stretch for him.

If you’re looking for a time-travel trip back to 70s British comedy, this is the film that provides it. By the way, it will help if you like salsa, a dance of mysterious charms.

And what is the film’s advertising line ‘Real men dance’ meant to mean?

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 derekwinnert