Clevercell Very disappointing...

ThiefHott Too much of everything

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Edgar Soberon Torchia "Fresa y chocolate" has more historical significance than cinematic merits: for the first time, a film from revolutionary Cuba openly treated homosexuality, from a point of view that it's too "safe" to create a controversy. It was greeted with great enthusiasm by Cuban homosexuals, including those that were victims of persecution during the 1970. But I am sorry to say that, being myself a mature homosexual from the Capitalist world who has gone through all kind of persecutions in life --literal and symbolic-- I find the story too clichéd and manipulative, and the main character a sad figure from the past, trapped in time and space. When it was made Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, whose masterpiece "Memorias del subdesarrollo" (1968) is among the best films of world cinema of all times, was terminally ill, so Juan Carlos Tabío (whose forte is comedy, including the classic "Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaf") had to share the direction. The script by Senel Paz is tame, Vladimir Cruz is miscast and the whole affair is a bit boring and demodé.

steuern Fresa y chocolateI liked to watch Fresa y Chocolate; this is first Cuban movie I've seen. Fresa y Chocolate is a product of two directors, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío in 1993. Fresa y Chocolate was nominated in 1995 the best foreign film. During the production of this film the director Alea had cancer and for this reason Tabío had to help him to complete the movie. Later 1996 Alea die. This movie expresses the oppression of Cuban government toward the homosexual and the conflict also the friendship within two different men. Around 1997 in Cuba,Diego (Jorge Perugorria ) the main character is a cultured gay and David (Vldimir Cruz) a young revolutionary college student. He is a naive and dogmatic. The story begins at a cheap hotel room where David and his sweetheart, Vivian tried to have first intimate experience together but ended up angry at each other, later Vivian marries to a much older man who is in the government office position. David, the wedding day feeling low come to an Ice cream shop near by school and over there David and Diego meet. At the begging, it was Diego's attempt to allure David but soon it change and in spite of their sexuality, these two different men establish a true friendship. Most of story take a place at Diego's apartment where full of things (art work, forbidden books, pictures...) for David's eye. It is a new and different world for David, a dogmatic and in a way an ignorant. Diego tells David about his anguish and problem toward the government. For him being homosexual hinder his work in Cuba and also his well being, too.However, David learns much about art and literature from Diego and moreover, he learn how to enjoy and savor life. The message of this movie is tolerance. No matter what is one's sexuality people have genuine heart. They have hope, dreams, and frustration that life brings us.I think this movie is worth to watch because Fresa y Chocolate gave me a chance to give a glance to Cuba, the country that I don't know yet. To me watching a good film lessens a tension of life.

Chris Adair Homosexuality is something that is not accepted in many countries, and this Cuban movie is based in this sentiment. The dramatic-comedy Strawberry and Chocolate was directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, and was an adaptation of the story "The wolf, the forest, and the new man" by Senel Paz. This movie represents very well the sentiment against homosexuality that still exists. Vladimir Cruz plays the part of David, the protagonist (the "new man" in Paz's words), and Jorge Perugorría plays the part of Diego (the wolf).The plot begins in Havana with David and his failed attempt to make love to his girlfriend, Vivian. It continues later on Vivian's wedding day with another man, while David watches them from the background. Depressed, David goes to the ice cream stand and meets Diego, who is clearly homosexual. Diego invites him to his apartment, but David flees suddenly because Diego is very strange. He later returns to the apartment because he is under the pressure of his roommate, Manuel, to investigate "the queer." Friendship begins to grow between David and Diego. Diego is smart, knows a lot about art and culture, and teaches these things to his friend. The friendship between David and Nancy, one of Diego's friends, grows as well and they make love at the end of the movie. But, Diego is in trouble after sending a letter that ridicules the government for not accepting his art exhibition and, for this reason, the government kicks him out and he has to leave the country. The movie ends with a touching hug between Diego and David. I like the plot because it uses elements of comedy to demonstrate a serious theme, and I thing that this works well.There are two themes that clearly exist in this movie: friendship and tolerance. True friendship can only exist when two people accept each other as they are; not only physically, but on the inside as well. For example, friendship is nonexistent between Manuel and David because Manuel doesn't care about David's personality, rather his actions. By the end, David and Diego adore each other for all the qualities they have, and do not worry about physical things. Tolerance is something different and is important as well. Many people in Cuba (demonstrated in Manuel) and other countries can't change their thoughts about homosexuality because they are too strong and unmovable. David's tolerance for Diego grows during the progression of the movie and it is realized at the end with a hug between friends.The use of light works well to show the mood of the movie. The darkness at the beginning shows the feeling that they are doing something bad or dirty, and the brightness when David and Diego are in the hideout (Diego's apartment) at the end of the movie shows that things will be fine. The acting is good and adds to the movie. Sometimes, Perugorría's acting is too cheesy, but it works to show his strange character. Through Cruz's good acting, one can clearly see David's emotional growth with his new friendship with Diego, the strange guy.In reality, people do not accept a change from the norm, and this is true especially with homosexuality. Homosexuals still fight today in many countries for their rights, but many people still don't accept them. This movie shows us very well this feeling through drama but also with a few moments of humor. I would recommend this to my friends because it isn't too serious, but nonetheless has a moving message for the viewer.

Lee Eisenberg Knowing how the Cuban government suppressed homosexuality for so long, it's sort of surprising that they allowed a movie about it. But the movie ended up being quite good. Diego (Jorge Perugorria) is a student in 1979 Havana who hooks up with the aesthetic David (Vladimir Cruz), who turns out to be gay. Naturally, Diego is a little unnerved by this, but over time, he and David come to respect each other.One reason that "Strawberry and Chocolate" is especially good is because they never go overboard in trying to portray gay people. David is attracted to men, certainly, but he never does something like start dancing to a disco song suddenly. Quite an impressive movie.