Papa Hemingway in Cuba

As with many who have written reviews, I am a Hemingway fan. This is a fabulous film in a tradition not seen often enough. Everyone else has said many good things about the film and they are true. What I would like to draw attention to is the story not told here. Denne's story.

There are hints dropped in the film and I am sure I didn't pick up on all of them. Why change his name? Not sure why "Ed", but Myers was his mother's maiden name. Ed is asked in the film, if he ever met found his parents. I believe (correct me if I am wrong) but he says his father died early of drink and he met his mother for about 10 minutes in Berkeley and indicates her reaction wasn't good. (She got a PhD, became a professor, and worked with handicapped children.) There is more there.

Denne goes on to be a quite successful screenwriter and was married to "Debbie" Elva for 21 years. (There is more than a little of Hemingway's leanness in screen writing.) When I saw the movie, I assumed it was made from a book and there would be more there. It wasn't. Denne did the screenplay. Denne did move to Ketchum and stayed close to Mary until her death. There is another story there.

Papa is lovingly photographed in Cuba where the story takes place in 1959, with an aging and depressed Ernest Hemingway, a Cuban revolution, and a young reporter who develops a relationship with Hemingway. Adrian Sparks captures Ernest Hemingway to such an extent that we believe we are watching home movies of the real Hemingway. It's helped by being filmed in Hemingway's Cuban home, which is now a national museum. Joely Richardson is similarly marvelous in the role of Hemingway's wife.

The film has a quiet lyrical tone even while there are turbulent under currents involving Batista, J. Edgar Hoover, the Mafia, and Fidel Castro's rebels. But the heart of the story is the relationship between the reporter (Giovanni Ribisi) and the Hemingways, as the orphaned reporter becomes part of their "family" and learns for himself what being part of a family truly means.

The film will have limited appeal and is best viewed by people interested in Hemingway, or the Cuban revolution, or intense family dramas. AS an added bonus, there are lots of 1950s cars on display, which is a real treat for the eyes.

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way." Ernest Hemingway

Apropos of Hemingway's minimalism, director Bob Yari's Papa Hemingway in Cuba features his life only at the beginning of the Cuban revolution in 1959 and the end of his powers as a writer and a lover. Although it is always difficult to imagine such a gifted man giving up on life, this film is explicit about his self perceptions and his delusions.

As played by look alike Adrian Sparks, Hemingway dismisses most other adults but is solicitous of a young writer/reporter, Ben Myers (Giovanni Ribisi), who has written to Hemingway and is subsequently invited to visit the manse in Cuba. Ben is really this screenwriter Denne Bart Peticlerc, who had the original experience with Hemingway.

While learning to fish from the master, Ben also learns of the trouble in paradise, beginning with family and moving from there to the feds. Although such discord often begets great writing, for neither writer does it provide much inspiration.

Not that Hemingway had it easy, for the FBI, the IRS, and seemingly the mob want a piece of the enormous celebrity known as Papa. Ben has his difficulties with his own absence from his love, Debbie (Minka Kelly), and inevitably incurs the wrath of the man himself for mistakenly thinking Ben is selling him out. By then, the genius was suspecting just about everyone.

As in recent bios of Chet Baker and Hank Williams, the abuses of these artists become clichéd, one for alcohol, another for drugs, another for womanizing, and the list goes on. Although Hemingway's story here walks the same path, few can match the splendor of his oeuvre.

I just enjoy being in his presence, and while no new territory, I am happy to be reminded that humans can achieve such a sublime state and yet be as flawed as I.

That's entertainment!

"Papa: Hemingway in Cuba" (2016 release; 109 min.) brings the story of a young journalist's friendship with and mentorship by Ernest Hemingway in Cuba in the late 50s. As the movie opens, we are in "Seattle 1935", where the then 4 year old boy is abandoned by his father in the middle of a department store. We then flash forward to "Miami Globe 1957", where we get to know the journalist Ed Myers. He finally sends a letter to Hemingway to express how much Hemingway's writings inspired Myers in his darkest hours. Much to Myers' surprise, some time later Hemingway calls and invites him to visit him in Cuba, and so off to Cuba goes Myers. At this point we're not even 15 minutes into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: first, all of the marketing materials regarding this movie list this as "Papa: Hemingway in Cuba", but in the movie itself, it's simply announced as "Papa: A True Story" ("Papa" is of course Hemingway's nickname). Second, this movie is written by Denne Bart Petitclerc, the actual journalist to whom this happened (I figure he changed the name to Ed Myers as, let's face it, his real name is more than a mouthful). Third, this is directed (in his directing debut) by long-time producer Bob Yari. Yari brings the story aptly but without any real surprises or revelations, it's as if he is directing "by the numbers". As you may surmise, given that the story is set in the late 50s, the movie is a mix of observing Hemingway the person, and also seeing how the revolution is playing out in the background. The cast is just okay, with the previously unknown (to me anyway) Adrian Sparks in the Hemingway role. Keep your eyes open for a quick cameo by Mariel Hemingway, the real life granddaughter and erstwhile 'buzz' actress herself. Minka Kelly plays a nice secondary role (as Myers' girlfriend). But you know who is the real star of this movie? That would be the location where much of this was filmed, namely the sprawling Hemingway estate (called Finca Vigía) in Cuba, where Hemingway lived for many years, and which nowadays is the Hemingway national museum in Cuba. Looks to be an amazing place, at least when seeing it on the big screen. Last but not least, there is a nice orchestral score, composed by Mark Isham. Bottom line: this movie has its pros and cons, and its good moments and not-o-good moments. Still, I found myself enjoying this more or less, hence a mixed rating of 3 stars.

"Papa" opened recently at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at this past weekend was attended okay (better than I expected, frankly), and fairly heavy on the seniors side. If you like a historical drama involving some big personalities, "Papa" is worth checking out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

This true story about the relationship between journalist Denne Bart Petitclerc (Giovanni Ribisi) and legendary writer Ernest Hemingway (Adrian Sparks) takes place during the 1959 Cuban Revolution. While Hemingway's granddaughter, Mariel Hemingway gets a brief cameo, co-stars Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights), Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) and Ribisi are left to fight to establish their place in the film. To blame here is Director Bob Yari ("Crash" 2004) and Editor Glen Scantlebury. With a beach scene between Hemingway, Mary and Denne incorrectly shot/edited (the beach shore can't be behind all of them) and scenes that stop and start, the already lackluster chemistry between the characters struggle. Even Writer Denne Bart Petitclerc's dialogue is choppy and weak, and this is his story. At least, Sparks does a nice job as Hemingway, providing something interesting to hang on to. I don't care if this is the first Hollywood film to be shot in Cuba since 1959, I need more here and didn't get it.