A Partida

"The Last Match," directed by Antonio Hems, delicately navigates the complexities of love, identity, and societal expectations in contemporary Cuba. The film chronicles the clandestine romance between Reinier and Yosvani, capturing the tender intimacy and passionate trysts amidst a backdrop of economic hardship and cultural norms.

Hems artfully portrays the evolving relationship between Reinier and Yosvani, highlighting their differing attitudes towards love and commitment. While Yosvani falls deeply in love, Reinier appears more reserved, perhaps influenced by societal pressures and his own uncertainties.

The film skillfully weaves in details about the characters' lives, such as Reinier's mother's approval of his relationship with Juan, adding depth to the narrative. Additionally, Hems explores themes of masculinity and sexuality, shedding light on the complexities of Cuban machismo culture and the challenges faced by individuals navigating their sexual identities.

The performances by the central male actors, García and Díaz, are captivating, conveying the emotional turmoil and vulnerability of their characters. Hems' casual portrayal of nudity underscores the raw emotions at play, adding authenticity to the film's portrayal of intimacy.

However, "The Last Match" falters in its melodramatic climax, which feels forced and detracts from the otherwise compelling narrative. Despite this misstep, the film remains a poignant exploration of love, desire, and the human experience in a challenging social context.

Overall, "The Last Match" is a thought-provoking and visually arresting drama that resonates long after the credits roll, offering a glimpse into the complexities of life and love in contemporary Cuba.

#TheLastMatchFilm #miltongarcia #reinierdiaz.

A tough and gritty insight into young gay life in Cuba. Milton Garcia ("Yosvani") a small time rent boy and Reinier Díaz ("Reinier") an aspiring footballer live and work in poverty selling whatever they can - including themselves - just to keep their heads above the water. Needless to say, whilst their prostitution is accepted to some extent; any sort of homosexual relationship with affection, let alone love, is still very much a taboo. Antonio Hens gets the two young men to deliver strong, convincing performances as they take us through a fairly hairy story and try to give their love a chance to thrive. It's quite a tough watch and it doesn't pull it's punches...

Decent story, good acting and well produced ...with no proper ending. Completely fizzles and just ends up being another average film with nothing memorable. Many unanswered questions and simply disappointing.

I am sure life was not easy in Cuba before the Castros, but in spite of their nice slogans and levelling activities (often compelling), living conditions have worsened, particularly after the collapse of the socialist camp since 1990ies. So many continue or have been forced to live in poverty, and those wealthier are often engaged in dubious trades.

All this we can see in Spanish-Cuban La Partida, where daily life is ruled by earning and adoring money, and even sexuality is subject to this, no matter what God or nature has determined. And deviations from this, including feelings and caring, do not end / work out as in fairy-tales... Performances are brave and distinct, at least 1 point from me for that, plus the viewers obtain images how living and infrastructure in present Havana look like, and probably would feel pity and sad.

In XXI century, Cuban people deserve much more than doddering revolutionaries are willing and able to offer.

Right from the start, this movie already showed some red flags. Firstly, Reinier is married but resorted to prostitution to earn money for his wife and baby. Secondly, Yosvani living with his girlfriend without love. It's obvious that he's gay but pretending to be straight because, as usual, the society was homophobic and merciless to gay people. Thirdly, it's obvious that this love story between them isn't going to end well. But Yosvani was too dumb to see that and forcing his way to be with Reinier despite his rejection in the end. And last but not least, the movie didn't give the audience a closure. Nothing was explained about their fates. It doesn't matter that the movie was made well and acted very well. If it doesn't have any closure, then it's crappy. That's why I reduced 2 stars from my initial rating. One for giving no closure to the story and another for crappy ending. If you're like me who's looking for a good ending or at least a clear one, don't watch this movie.