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The new animated romance Chico and Rita follows the relationship of two young Cuban musicians: Chico is a gifted piano player looking to bring the sound of Havana to New York; Rita is a beautiful singer who treads the precarious path between Latin musicians and white investors looking to cash in on the popularity of this new music. Like all star crossed lovers, their journey is not an easy one – their musical and romantic tribulations will continue over 60 years against the striking backdrops of Havana, New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas.

The real strength of the film is its ability to portray a classic love story in both an innovative, sensual and sensitive way. The syncopated grace of Cuban Jazz combines with a disarmingly child-like animation to create a sparkling tribute to 1940s and 50s Havana culture.

The film exudes real passion for both the music of the period and the locations of the film, beautifully re-crafted within the animated landscape. The Cuban sound is brought to life with a truly uplifting assortment of records, including classics from Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie and Thelonius Monk. Like the heady improvisation of a be-bop trumpeter, this film bounces between soft melody and excited fragmentation, always bursting to give the audience something new and exciting.

Yet this does not mean that the film is purely for Jazz aficionados – the affection that directors Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba bring to their work ensures that this film doesn't become simply a musical tribute aimed at a conceited minority. The scale of the narrative will leave you breathless, and yet the story is all told through the seemingly innocent hand of traditional cartoon animation. In a post-Pixar world, this kind of hand-drawn animation has gained a retro charm all of its own. Chico and Rita is a delicate reminder that genuine action and emotion can still be expressed without the pixellated glossiness of CGI.

Chico and Rita really succeeds in bringing the colour and vibrancy of early 50s Havana back to life – from the delightfully evocative soundtrack, to the re-telling of a classic love story through the medium of hand-drawn animation, the film is a fitting expression of the vision and compassion of its creators.

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Chico & Rita follows Chico, an old and retired Cuban pianist, as he remembers his impossible love with a jazz singer called Rita and his rise and fall as a music performer. Having taken four years to make, Chico & Rita is first and foremost visually mind-blowing. Its animation is as nothing you have seen before and the cinematography, the lights, the angles, the music, just everything related to the technical aspect of this film is absolutely perfect.

But what's best and most refreshing about this film is its old-fashioned love story. In a time where all romantic films try to be as realistic as possible, it seems unthinkable to watch a relationship like this unfold on screen. Following a bolero-like structure, the main characters fall in love as easily as they fall apart, but they never forget each other, having an outdated loyalty that is deserving of such all-time classics as Casablanca or Gone With The Wind, and ending in the brilliant and moving bittersweet final scene.

Jazz music plays a main role in the film and gets to be the third character in what we could call a love triangle between the jazz, Chico and Rita. The two title characters are extremely talented musicians that are sometimes in the position of having to choose between their lover or their musical success and fame. Real jazz performers, such as Charlie Parker or Tito Puente get enjoyable cameos in the film and, practically, all the performances in the film are very delightful and entertaining.

Although the film has some minor elements that prevents it from being a masterpiece, like the appearance near the end of Estrella Morente, they are so insignificant compared to the whole of the film that Chico & Rita is still an exceptional film appealing to an extremely large audience.

Chico & Rita is an animated old-fashioned musical romance with a highly original aesthetic, a both refreshing and outdated love story and sublime original and adapted music.

Rating: 4.5/5.

Chico & Rita is a sublime and highly original animated film. It is a very adult film with some animated adult situations. Set in Cuba just before and the years after the revolution, it tells the story of Chico, a talented jazz pianist and Rita, a beautiful singer. Through the story of this couple's turbulent love affair over these years, where Rita finds fame and fortune in US and Chico goes through some hard times, we also get a brief history of both Cuba and jazz music. The animation is wonderfully evocative and colorful and as for the music; well if you are a fan of jazz or Latin American music you are going to fall in love with this movie. Highly recommended.

As Brad Bird of Pixar fame has said, animation is not a genre, but an art form. Chico & Rita is an artfully made romantic drama that captures the hearts and imaginations of its audience through its storytelling as much as its animation. By turns reflective and reactive, this is a cosmopolitan saga of two lovers' struggle to find themselves and each other. The key notes of jealousy, passion and ambition set the story in a minor key, while the action moves with the syncopated beats of a mambo. The dialog is sharp and smart. Adults will appreciate the nuances of this excellent script. Love hurts, and the movie's main characters creatively express their bittersweet experiences with the virtuosity and greatness of the stars that they orbit and shine alongside. More of a character than a soundtrack, the music is evenly folded into the movie, as is the tension between the lovers. I wonder if people who go to see Chico & Rita only for the animation might possibly be disappointed, since it is less squash and stretch and more gouache and sketch. But the animation does convey the moods and emotions of the characters whilst taking us on a thrilling ride through dizzying cinematic vistas. The colours and lighting are somewhat stepped, but have an illustrative verisimilitude, that provides a convincing variety of bold panoramas and atmospheric interiors. Still, if you didn't like Waking Life or Belleville Rendezvous merely because of the flickering and the occasional detached 3D elements, then you may find watching this movie similarly distracting. I think that the story is compelling enough and the musical and visual elements such a treat that anyone willing to look beyond the animation is rewarded with the best that cinema can offer.

Too much has been made of the animated films that DIDN'T get an Oscar nod ("Cars 2" Really? REALLY?) and not enough attention has been paid to the two foreign films that DID earn a nod - "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita." I reviewed "A Cat in Paris" after screening it at last year's San Francisco International Film Festival, and was pleasantly surprised to see it on the list. Check out my review and you'll see I think it deserves its spot.

Having just screened "Chico & Rita," I can tell you that the Academy did right by this film as well. Not quite computer animation and not quite rotoscoping, the process of animating this film is too damn complicated for me to explain.

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The title characters are Cuban artists. He's a musician/composer, she's a sultry singer. They both are chasing dreams - artistic and human. Their journey begins in Havana and makes stops in New York, Paris, and, ultimately, Las Vegas. It's a journey worth taking.

"Chico & Rita" has a unique look, with vibrant colors that compliment a terrific soundtrack of jazz greats. The voice work is spot-on, and the voice artists have the advantage of having a solid - though, to be honest, a wee bit clichéd - story to tell about adults for adults.

I hesitate to write that, as the first thing that comes to mind when you link "adult" and "animation" is Ralph Bakshi / "Fritz the Cat." This film does have sexual content, but it is not exploitative in any way. It is truly an animated film for the adult mind.

What a nice surprise (and a well deserved one,) if either of the two foreign film entrants in this category were to hear their names called from an Oscar envelope. "Puss in Boots?" Really? REALLY?

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The story of "Chico and Rita" is told with a big wink towards the "Buena Vista social club" and I must admit that the end is really moving. However two people who spend 60 years to come to the conclusion that they can't live without each other stretches the probability of the story a bit too much.

The animation however is very well done. Originally mainly used in films for kids, in the first decade of the new century animation was more and more used is films for grown ups. In this respect "Chico and Rita" was preceded by films like "Les triplettes de Belleville" (2003, Sylvian Chomet), "Persepolis" (2007, Marjane Satrapi) and "Waltz with Bashir" (2008, Ari Folman).

From the character of Gollum in "The lord of the rings" (2001 - 2003, Peter Jackson) I knew that at the basis of computer generated images (CGI) there is sometimes real human acting. In the case of Gollum a real actor played this character dressed in a suit full of sensors. Based on the measurements thus generated the computer made the images we see in the film. What I never knew was that "Chico and Rita" was made according to more or less the same procedure. Actors played the part of Chico and Rita, after which artists used these images to make the drawings. Purpose of this procedure was to make facial expressions as true to nature as possible.

Chico & Rita is a film about a tumultuous relationship between a Cuban piano player and a singer. My appreciation for this film kind of starts and ends with the music. I like the style of the songs, and they certainly increased my enjoyment of the movie. I appreciate the way the passion for music brought these two people together, and how it played an integral part in the ups-and-downs of their relationship. I do wish that the big song that is so vital to the climax were more of a show-stopper. It didn't stand out to me as being particularly memorable or all that much more impressive than the other songs sprinkled throughout the film. Still, the music was all solid and in a genre I appreciate. I would gladly listen to a soundtrack any day. Sadly, when I say my appreciation begins and ends with the music, that's not much of an exaggeration. I did not enjoy the animation in Chico & Rita. I'm good with 2-D animation, it holds a warm nostalgic quality for me, but I like the art to look better than what I could draw (and believe me, I'm no artist.)

The plot, likewise, was a slog for me. This could get a bit spoiler-filled, so you might want to stop reading here if you haven't seen the film... Chico isn't a charming protagonist, and I found myself wishing Rita could find a better man. Yet her decisions of who to romance (when things didn't work out with Chico) felt quite mercenary which made her tough to sympathize with as well. It's one of those on-again-off-again romances that ends up frustrating me more than enchanting me. As things continue to come between them, I can't help thinking that is a good thing, and they should remain apart. The ending lacked any redemption or catharsis in my opinion, because each time they get together they just hurt one another and go their separate ways, so why would I assume a reunion after decades would be any different. All in all, I simply wasn't invested in the romance which was the central driving force of the plot. Chico & Rita had moments that I was hoping would redeem it for me, but most of the way through I was just enjoying the tunes and trying to tune out the rest.

Chico and Rita is a nice little film with some great music, animation that really brings out all of the vivid colors, and atmosphere that takes you into it's setting. It all blends it in so seamlessly. It's main problem? A weak screenplay that is filled with predictable plot points and turns. It never rises to become anything special, despite some great stand-alone scenes. Still, recommended for the great blend of music and what style it has! The voice-over performances are quite effective, and it isn't hard to see the passion put into it. It's also quite refreshing to see an animated film in Spanish, and definitely for one to get an Oscar nomination. But it doesn't hold a candle to Rango, which will deservedly win the Oscar.

Not the most ground-breaking of plots - but it sure is pretty. The cityscapes in particular are beautiful and the music is well-represented. It's very atmospheric and although the ending feels quite old fashioned the narrative is woven into history with admirable authenticity.

As a big animation fan, I loved Chico and Rita, one of the most beautiful and most unique films I have seen recently. I also didn't care much for Estrella Morente, but that wasn't enough to be a massive problem. The film has one of the most unique visual styles I've seen not just in recent memory but perhaps even ever, and it looks gorgeous. Everything from the colours, sceneries and colours are rich in detail and beautiful on the eyes. Chico and Rita is a very musically rich film as well, with Cuban and Jazz music providing so much character to the atmosphere. The two titular characters are likable and engaging, the screenplay is good if nothing completely mind-blowing and the story is very touching. In conclusion, a wonderful film, animated or not. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The second foreign nominee for the Academy Awards' Best Animated Feature in 2011, there has actually been buzz about this one since last year's Oscars (it debuted at Telluride in 2010 and also played at Toronto, but is not seeing a commercial release in the U.S. until February of 2012; it already saw a release in most European countries in late 2010 or 2011). That buzz is, thankfully, quite deserved, because this one is just wonderful. A simple story, sure, but a touching one about a young man and woman in Havana who begin a romance in 1948. They are musicians and get together through their art, but unfortunately petty jealousies keep getting in the way of their love. After initial success, Rita is swept off to New York City to become famous without Chico. He follows a few years later and finds his own fame, but the two seem destined to remain separate. The animation, like the story, is quite simple but really beautiful. It kind of reminds me of Waltz with Bashir, although it's not rotoscoped - at least not as extensively as Waltz with Bashir was. Rita, I must say, is the sexiest animated character since Jessica Rabbit - and she's not nearly so shy. It's kind of funny, but on account of this film, the Best Animated Feature category has far more nudity in it than all nine of the Best Picture nominees. Of course, as the characters are Cuban musicians, there's a ton of wonderful music throughout. I found the film deeply touching, and it brought me to tears at the end. This is far and away the best film among the four I've seen in its Oscar category this year (and I somehow doubt that Puss in Boots will eventually blow it out of the water!). Highly recommended.

Liked the stylistic animation and design. Light hearted story. A bit forgettable, but good vibes.

This is a movie done not by any big animation studios but it's a British and Spanish animated co-production instead. This means that the movie already has an unique style of its own, that works out as something fresh and quite charming.

What I foremost liked about this movie that it got buildup and approached like an actual movie. The camera handling, the way the animated characters 'act', really, this movie might just as well had been a life action movie and things would had been exactly the same.

Except for its look of course. The movie has a real pleasant and bright look over it. Its for most part set on Cuba and you really feel its special atmosphere, while watching this movie. Besides, the animation might not look photo-realistic, the backgrounds are still often really great looking and so is the way all of the characters move and show expressions. It really is a truly great movie from an animation perspective.

But also story-wise this is a great, sweet little movie. It's a romantic one, that involves a love story between 2 musicians, the one a singer the other a piano player. You can tell they fit well together and also should be together but due to many different circumstances they often loose track of each other and end up living their own lives and have their own musical careers, while still running into each other, every now and then.

It all is being supported by some fine jazz music and if you are a jazz lover, this movie is already an absolute must-see for you! And no, I myself am not even a jazz lover but I could still really appreciate the music in this movie and what it did for its story and overall atmosphere.

It's also most definitely a movie for adults only. And not just because the movie features some nudity and a pretty graphic sex scene in it but also simply because of its story and the way its getting told. Like I said, it's just being like a life action movie with its approach, so don't simply let the fact that its animated scare you off. This just simply is a great movie, that deserves to be seen by more.

This in short is a surprisingly good animated movie, with a sweet little story in at and a great overall style and atmosphere to it!

8/10

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CHICO & RITA is a notable achievement - an animated love-story that makes some trenchant points about the ways in which human beings were constrained during the Forties and Fifties.

In the tradition of the Spanish bolero, the main plot is a picaresque tale focusing on how Chico (voiced by Eman Xor Oña) and Rita (Limara Meneses) encounter one another at a nightclub, fall in love, and then keep falling out of love until they are finally separated in New York. Rita becomes a big Broadway and Hollywood star, while Chico remains a piano-player working most nights in clubs, until he accepts an offer to join Dizzy Gillespie's band on tour. As time passes, so the fortunes of both protagonists fluctuate, but the film ends happily when both are coming up to retirement age.

What sets Tono Errando and Javier Mariscal's film apart is the way in which they depict the political and social realities facing Cubans in the immediate post-war period. During the Batista era, Havana was swarming with Americans, who not only spent lots of money but treated the locals like dirt on account of their skin color. Chico experiences one moment of sickening racism from a tourist who objects to his 'harassing' Rita. When the two of them decamp to New York, the situation doesn't change much; like most people of color, they live segregated lives and have to perform for mostly white audiences, speaking English rather than their native Spanish. Chico's agent Ramon (voiced by Mario Guerra) appears to have forged a successful career as an agent, but even he is subject to the whims of his often capricious white counterparts.

Even when Chico returns to Cuba, he is still not free of discrimination. As the Batista regime collapses, and Fidel Castro takes over, he finds that he is no longer wanted; jazz music is symbolic of the so-called 'decadent' west, and hence no longer acceptable to the new government. He ends up having to eke out a pitiful existence as a shoeshine boy.

As a technical achievement, CHICO & RITA cannot be bettered. The directors make much of the contrast between the bright lights of the big cities - Havana, New York - and the seedy boardinghouses where Chico and Rita live. They spend their lives trying to entertain rich upper middle-class clients, but they themselves live hand-to- mouth existences, enlivened only by the occasional pick-up. The jazz music that forms a soundtrack to the film is a definite plus; together with the visuals, it reminds us of how the genre originated as a response to poverty and deprivation in the early part of the twentieth century.

Hmmm...lots of reviews have been gushing about this movie, and to be honest when I saw the trailer a while back, I was seduced by the animation and style. When I finally watched it, I realised that's all it has going for it: style. I loved the animation and the music, but I just couldn't get into it, the story just wasn't engaging; I actually had to skip - I rented it on DVD (just as well I did and didn't buy it or something) - to the end. It's not that I didn't understand it or anything, I completely felt the emotions coming through, but I just couldn't understand why a story such as this one has to be told through animation? I think that's my biggest gripe.

Chico and Rita is an animated movie that goes to the old school world of Cuba, it is a look back on the musician Chico is reflecting on the one that got away, Rita. On the DVD, I reviewed the making of this movie and found it more interesting than the movie itself. Apparently they used real actors and blended their movements with the background color into a masterful combination. A real testament to the ability to create a movie. Great music, insight, and love story, take a journey into old Cuba. The story is believable and really portrays that Latin spice. I think that it would make an excellent regular movie and is the timeless story of lost love.