Chico and Rita is a lovely little animated film for adults (there's sex, so don't take the kiddies) about two musicians who fall in love in pre-Revolution Cuba. Anyone who saw and enjoyed Julian Schnabel's wonderful film Before Night Falls, about the life of Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas, will probably see some similarities in Chico and Rita: star-crossed love, the difficulty and rewards of dedicating your life to art, and the tightrope walk of trying to make it in America after escaping a Communist regime.
One of the most poignant moments of Chico and Rita is when Rita, who becomes a successful singer in the United States (before the Civil Rights Movement), has a breakdown on stage while performing at a hotel. She tells the audience that although she is allowed to sing on stage, she is not allowed to stay at the hotel because of the color of her skin.
Despite the ever-present political commentary of the film, Chico and Rita is, at heart, a love story between two people brought together through music and kept apart by circumstance. That Chico and Rita's love lasts a lifetime, despite their decades of separation, was a little hard for me to buy, but the beauty of their ultimate reunion was worth suspending my disbelief.3 out of 5 stars
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