A Partida

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.

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've seen so few good 'gay-themed' films. "La partida" aka "The Last Match" is one of the great ones. From the director of another excellent film, "Clandestinos," we have a rare instance where gay characters aren't portrayed as ridiculous, clown-like stereotypes. The leads don't wear eyeliner, and they aren't go-go boys who hang out in bars, and they don't have drug problems. Instead we have two leads who are just regular people, who discover that they have a mutual attraction for each other. Living in Cuba, with a wife that supports him financially, Reinier is an avid futbol player, who is hoping to go pro, as a way of escaping a country where freedom does not exist. He also wants to escape the poverty that envelops him and his family and mates. So desperate for a way out, his own mother pushes him towards male prostitution, hoping that her young son will marry a foreigner, and thus give them all a way out of Cuba. Likewise Yosvani is in an unhappy relationship with a female, also supporting him. The two guys figure out that they like each other more than they should, and soon it turns into love. From that point everything and everyone seems set on destroying what the two have found with each other.

This is a sad story. It is romantic in a way that so few movies of this genre are. The two lead actors are great, especially Milton Garcia as Yosvani. He loves his friend in this intense way that we all wish we could be loved. His eyes are so sad, as though he knows from the start, that the love story will never have a happy ending. But he doesn't give up. This guy was brilliant.

Director Antonio Hens has a way of showing his audience a different kind of gay world, one that is free of dumb stereotypes. In "Clandestinos" we have a gay terrorist. And here we have a guy who plays football, and a street thug, who just happen to be attracted to the same sex. Films like this are so important, in that they teach the uninformed that gays are not "freaks," but in many cases completely typical men and women that just happen to be drawn to the same sex. As long as they are portrayed as silly stereotypes, the hatred and prejudice will be perpetuated. We need more cinema like this. It's a great love story, well-made and beautifully written. I recommend this movie as well as "Clandestinos," for people looking for something different.

Sure, elements of this are maybe reminiscent of other gay titles, but these themes are based on real trends of the gay experience, so it's important to be patient with similarities across films from different cultures, each of which deserve their own nuanced stories told. Reiner and Yosvani's love story is memorable in their acting, the circumstances, and their decisions. Homosexuality is portrayed here not as fully forbidden but in a state of simultaneous acceptance and denial, which makes the story so unique. Both character's female partners and some family members are aware of their male lovers. I think the sad ending falls just short of being necessary based on the plot that leads up to it, but when I went back and rewatched it I felt like it did make sense the way it all played out.

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.