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Papa: Hemingway in Cuba

Play trailer 2:13 Poster for Papa: Hemingway in Cuba R Released Apr 29, 2016 1h 49m Biography History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
11% Tomatometer 44 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In 1959, a young Miami journalist (Giovanni Ribisi) travels to Havana to meet writer Ernest Hemingway (Adrian Sparks) during the Cuban Revolution.
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Papa: Hemingway in Cuba

Papa: Hemingway in Cuba

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Critics Consensus

A man can be destroyed but not defeated, although the desultory Papa: Hemingway in Cuba makes one feel as if both can be accomplished by watching a single film.

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Critics Reviews

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Miriam Di Nunzio Chicago Sun-Times A film that is beautiful to look at but lacks clear vision. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 29, 2016 Full Review Matthew Lickona San Diego Reader In the end, it's a museum piece: even the drunken screaming matches between Hemingway and his wife feel staged. Rated: 1/5 Apr 29, 2016 Full Review Peter Travers Rolling Stone As the first U.S. film shot in Cuba since Castro came to power in 1959, Papa gives us sights to revel in. Oddly, what hurts is the clunky, overripe script. Rated: 2/4 Apr 29, 2016 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site If the viewer were to base him- or herself on the Hemingway represented in Yari's Papa ... he or she would likely never open a single volume of Hemingway's writing. Feb 11, 2021 Full Review Allen Almachar The MacGuffin We never get a sense of what we're supposed to gain here. Rated: C- Jul 13, 2020 Full Review Cate Marquis We Are Movie Geeks The actors do their best, but the plodding, unimaginative direction reduces the film to a dull docu-drama, Rated: 3/5 May 7, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Lydia L I knew the writer and I have a copy of the first script. In my opinion this is a beautiful film written by a kind man who admired Hemingway dearly. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/05/24 Full Review Anne H A beautiful film, well casted, with stunning cinematography that shows a side of Hemingway not often represented and his last months in Cuba. Told through the eyes of a young reporter who befriended him. I truly enjoyed it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/03/24 Full Review Audience Member I don't understand the negative reviews. The acting is fine and the cinematography is excellent. If you're interested in this period of Hemingway's life, you'll appreciate it. Maybe the critics who hated it were expecting more and i wasn't, and so was pleasantly surprised. . . Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member I cannot imagine why the consensus is so dismal. This is one of the greatest movies Iï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)ve ever seen. Iï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)ll ad some context to my opinion. Iï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)ve read most of Papaï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)s novels as well as most of his short stories. I disliked many of the early movie adaptations of his novels, as he did. Iï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)d like to think Iï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)m not a sucker for Hollywood. I also love Indy films. Again, for context, Iï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)ll list a few, in no particular order. Snowcake, In Bruges, The Guard, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Reign Over Me, and such. Most adored foreign films? The Motorcycle Diaries, Amelie, Blue is the Warmest Color. My favorite blockbusters? Common enough; Forest Gump, Braveheart, Gone With the Wind, Dances With Wolves, and the like. Favorite war movie? Hell in the Pacific. The point is, I do not have poor taste in movies, and those who dislike this one must have poor taste in movies because I simply cannot see any other explanation for their dislike of this one. I suspect I lacked marketing enough to cast the appropriate indispensably net and the only persons left reviewing this film are waiting on the sequel to Avatar or fast and furious 47. Either way, give this movie a read. But before you do, read some of Papaï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)s works. Specifically, start with The Old Man and the Sea. Then read The Sun Also Rises. Itï¿ 1/2 1/2(TM)s my favorite novel of all time. Afterwards, as many short stories as you can. Also, ignore most of the reviews of this movie. Cheers. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member based on a true story about a young man who beftiends Ernest Hemingway while he is living in Havana,Cuba right before the revelution and hoe their friendship blooms and teaches both about life and love. very well written and produced. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member very watchable if you've just been to Cuba. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Papa: Hemingway in Cuba

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1959, a young Miami journalist (Giovanni Ribisi) travels to Havana to meet writer Ernest Hemingway (Adrian Sparks) during the Cuban Revolution.
Director
Bob Yari
Producer
Amanda Harvey, Bob Yari, Weezie Melancon, Michael Pacino
Screenwriter
Denne Bart Petitclerc
Distributor
Yari Film Group
Production Co
Yari Film Group (YFG), Magenta Light Productions, Sunstone Film Productions, Studio 2050
Rating
R (Sexuality|Nudity|Language|Some Violence)
Genre
Biography, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 29, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 9, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.1M
Runtime
1h 49m
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