Papa Hemingway in Cuba

The creators of "Crash", "The Illusionist", and "The Painted Veil" have done it again. Their latest movie, "Papa", a labor of love that took over 4 years to get to the big screen, tremendous commitment and dedication, grabs you from the first scene. The movie opens with a seemingly innocent scene showing a small boy talking to his father. Unfortunately, the few carelessly words spoken by the man, will remain with the son the remainder of his life, a great lesson for us all, and one of a number within the movie if one pays attention. We then see the man as an adult, albeit an incomplete one. He is an outwardly successful and confident reporter in Miami, who is in a relationship with the perfect girl from the same newspaper. He has a secret though. For personal reasons, he idolizes Ernest Hemmingway, and has been struggling for years to perfect a letter which he has composed to the legend to thank him for writing the words that helped him learn to write and gave him his life's purpose. His stunning, but nosy girlfriend, played perfectly by actress Minka Kelly, sends his letter to the great man and this starts him on an incredible journey that will change all their lives. The letter must have been heartfelt and well written because Hemmingway calls and invites him to Cuba, and they develop a kinship. The movie is the first to be filmed in Cuba in 55 years, and stayed true to the times and place, shooting in Hemmingway's home, as well as Floridita, the Havana club he frequented. Authenticity was clearly important to the creators, as they even used Hemmingway's typewriter in the movie. As the movie progresses, one gains a giant glimpse of what life was in Cuba for those who lived there during that time period. We see the beauty as well as the ugliness. One also gains insight into Hemmingway's world, and what made him the man he was. We see how much beloved he was to the Cuban people, and his great love for them and the country. We see the introverted man who was often besieged by his fans and the public, a man tormented by the events he had witnessed in the war, during the revolution, as well as in his own past. We see a man who is a struggling writer, just trying to type out a few words each day, although, he clearly had more pressure than most. We see a man struggling with his day to day life not meeting his expectations, not unlike us all at times. We see a man struggling with depression and alcohol and the devastating effects of both. We are shown what makes him great, as well as what makes him human. One is reminded of the movie Crash in that both show we are not perfect as human beings. We all can do incredible things, as well as terrible things, and yet are neither all bad, nor or all good. Adrian Sparks plays Hemmingway, and truly seems to channel the man in portraying his extreme highs and lows. He is terrifying in scenes showing him as he loses his temper and self-control, and yet tender and loving to those he cares about in other scenes. His wife, played wonderfully by Joely Richardson, brings one further into his world and the challenges faced by those who loved the man. The movie does not shy away from showing how deeply depression and mental illness, as well as addiction impact those who struggle with such conditions, as well as all of those who care about them. The movie is gripping as it shows Hemmingway spiraling out of control and on edge, as well as the struggle of the Cuban people during the revolution, all as witnessed through the eyes of the "Kid", played by Giovanni Ribisi, who somehow manages to slip right into the time period and subtly and expertly captures the conservativeness of the time period and the perfect balance between confidence and insecurity as an adult who learns true humility and comes to be a man under the wing of a legend, who while a genius and larger than life, remains only human and still fallible like us all. Other notable performances include Shaun Toub and a cameo appearance by Mariel Hemmingway. The movie has a number of lessons, one of which is how we all determine our destiny via the choices we make. Do yourself a favor, and choose to see this true gem of a movie. You won't regret it.

I can't say this is a great movie, but I don't know why the critics were so hard on it - currently 8% on by Metacritic professional critics. Hemingway had a long and adventuresome life, and this movie captures the last year he spent at his Cuban estate, Finca Vigia. The beautiful, sprawling, gated estate had been a source of comfort for Hem through two divorces, multiple wars, and the withering of his talent. By 1959, Hem's cumulative emotional distress is mirrored in Cuba's political unrest, and the film captures that quite perfectly.

Giovanni Ribisi as Hemingway's new, young writer friend is more toned down that he is in other amped-up roles, and Adrian Sparks effectively becomes Hemingway; it's hard to believe it isn't him in many scenes. Joely Richardson was a terrific foil, moving through the turbulence of their marriage minute by minute, showing the deep love she had for him but also the anger she had at his drunken antics.

The film had some very nice touches, like the poly-dactyl cat in a very brief scene; Hemingway loved poly-dactyls in his later years.

I felt the movie was fairly well-paced and beautifully filmed. The drama around -- no spoilers -- some government issues was a little out of left field tone-wise, but otherwise I found it a rather lovely little picture, an admirable tribute to a great writer and a flawed man with a lasting legacy.

"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!

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.