Search - Honey for Oshun on DVD

Unforced sentimentality

E. Laway | Temecula, California United States | 01/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this movie for what is, a sentimental journey, a coming to terms with one's longing. The movie itself was film sparingly, straight forward no fancy effects. Jorge Perugorria is right on in portraying the 41 yr old, Latin Literature teacher from Maimi in search of the mother who he's always thought abandoned him. When he first finds out that he was literary ripped out of his mother's arms in contrary to what his now deceased father has always told him, that his mother didn't care about going with him to America, he started to loath the lies his dead father has told him. But like everything else, he discovers that everyone has also suffered, that his own suffering equals everyone else's. And this dicovery had brought a certain measure of peace within him. I love looking at the movie physically because you get to see a little bit of Cuba. The old classic buildings are dilapidated but beautiful, the people are colourful and you can see how everyone is trying to get by with so little. I also like Isabel Santos, who plays the tour guide cousin. She's quite intense and reminds one of Ingrid Bergman. I enjoyed this movie a lot and I cried at the end. Life can be so sad sometimes and this movie conveys it well."

Good film despite flair for the melodramatic

muskiedine | U.S. | 07/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoyed this film about a son who returns to Cuba in search of his mother, whom he's been separated from for over thirty years. Although the film is at times overly dramatic and plays like a soap opera, you still find yourself absorbed in the search. This is a road film and, as such, takes us on a journey. The shots of the Cuban villages and countryside are reason enough to watch.

The ending is predictable, but that's okay because we like this kind of predictability. My only criticism is that the director could have handled it better. Basically, it was abrupt and lacked the required intimacy. Otherwise, a warm, heart-felt film with an incredible performance by Isabel Santos. Her performance is evocative of Lena Olin's in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being."
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Cuban Delight

L. Shirley | fountain valley, ca United States | 05/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Honey for Oshun" is a sweet, poignant, touching, and comic tale of a man searching for the mother he thought had abandoned him 32 years before. Directed by Humberto Solas, this Spanish/Cuban entry may seem a little slow out of the gate, but the pace picks up nicely as we follow Roberto and his cousin Pilar on their quest through Cuba, and getting to the end is well worth the entire view.

Roberto(Jorge Perugorria) returns to his native and beloved Cuba after having fleeing as a very young boy with his father.
For thirty-two years, his father led him to believe that his mother had abandoned them and refused to go with them, and had never been allowed to return home. Upon his father's death, Roberto feels he is now free to search for, and question his mother. After tracing down his cousin, the beautiful Pilar(Isabel Santos), he finds the story of what happened all those years ago, is not exactly his father's version. Together with the help of Antonio(Mario Limonta), a delightfully quirky cab driver they embark on one wild adventure(whatever can go wrong...does!) after the next, in search of mother Carmen.

The ride through Cuba is a wonderfully atmospheric view of the beautiful land and wonderful people. In each village they drive through, the residents, all seem to want to help, sometimes to very funny results.

The first thing you'll notice from the view is that this is not a big budget Hollywood production. As a matter of fact, even though it is only a few years old, it appears very dated. However, it is wonderfully filmed in widescreen, taking in all the details. The film is in Spanish, and will automatically come up with subtitles in English(these cannot be deleted).Occassionally I found the subtitles a little hard to read on a white on white background, but not a big problem in enjoying the movie.

A very enjoyable human story and fabulous tour of Cuba, sweet as honey, and without all the political messages.

Gracias...enjoy....Laurie

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