Papa Hemingway in Cuba

"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.

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.

In literature, there is a term called the "Hemingway Hero," which is essentially a set of noble traits and honorable qualities that the reader should aspire to, much like any character in an Ernest Hemingway novel. Every writer attempting to create this attribute will find that the qualities that make up a hero today compared to that of Hemingway's day are consistent and timeless. This idea of what makes a man a man, and living a life of "honor, courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful" will forever ring true to those in search of a deeper meaning of life. The Bob Yari-directed film Papa: Hemingway in Cuba, tells the true story of one man's relationship with the legendary writer Ernest Hemingway, and essentially starting his journey to find his own, literal, "Hemingway Hero".

"What do you say to the man who changed your life, and never even knew you?" Ed Myers (Giovanni Ribisi), a journalist at the Miami Herald in the 1950s, asks this question while struggling to find the words for a letter he plans to send to his idol, Ernest Hemingway (Adrian Sparks). Growing up an orphan during the depression, Myers' voice-over explanation reveals that he had always wanted to be a writer and an adventurer. His lack of family ties created a longing for someone to look up to, someone to be a father figure. He writes all of this and more in his letter, spilling his soul onto the page. Then, one day, Myers gets a life-changing phone call from the man himself, telling him how much he appreciated the letter and then asking him to travel to Cuba to spend time with him.

While the first third of the film tends to drag a bit slowly, it really comes alive when we follow Myers to Cuba and get to meet Hemingway. The atmosphere of the city and live music are electrifying, a juxtaposition to the man Hemingway had become by that point in his life. Myers quickly develops a closeness to Hemingway and his wife Mary (Joely Richardson), considering them the family he never had. However, their blissful life erupts into chaos as they immediately find themselves in the middle of the Cuban revolution.

The fact that this is a true story alone is worth watching, but probably the biggest selling point is that this is the first Hollywood film to be shot in Cuba in over 50 years. The authenticity of being able to shoot in the original locations including the bar El Floridito and Hemingway's actually home in Finca Vigia, which is now preserved as a national museum, is a fascinating thing to see. Possibly the coolest memento of all, though, is that the typewriter used in the film is Hemingway's original one.

Personally, a big fan of Hemingway myself, (I did name my dog Ernest after all), seeing this time period in his life is difficult as we all know the outcome of his losing battle with depression. It is a hard pill to swallow watching him stick a revolver in his mouth and beat his wife. For as beautiful the worlds he created in his books, the man we see on screen is a tortured artist that is struggling to see the purpose of his own life. Adrian Sparks captures both Hemingway's brilliance and demons in his performance, truly giving justice and respect to the late author.

As much as you become absorbed in Sparks' performance, there are moments that can take you out of the film. At times Ribisi comes off somewhat flat, for example, getting that initial call from his idol, Hemingway himself, he barely seems to muster up any excitement. Instead, it feels as if that scene may have been rehearsed one too many times and, by that take, he was just going through the motions. Another head scratching moment is how quickly the film jumps into some scenes without much setup. One moment, Myers is on the beach in Cuba, the next he's on the beach in Florida telling his girlfriend (Minka Kelly) about his trip to Cuba. It feels rushed, but at this point, we've become invested in these characters that we're along for the ride so we don't really care where we're going or how we get there.

Papa: Hemingway in Cuba is a stunning portrait of one of the greatest authors and storytellers of the 20th century. Bob Yari takes the biopic and breathes life into the genre just by the sheer amount of authentic details (like the shooting locations alone), plus this inspiring and true story of one man's search for the meaning of life is something we can all relate to. Bonus- Keep an eye out for a quick cameo from Ernest's granddaughter Mariel Hemingway.

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