3 Days in Havana (2013) – Film Review

Directors: Gil Bellows, Tony Pantages
Writers: Gil Bellows, Tony Pantages
Actors: Gil Bellows, Greg Wise
Runtime: 83 min
Rating: 14A

Setting a buddy adventure movie in a city as fascinating as Havana has much potential for great film. Likewise, a hard-hitting and intriguing assassination thriller could be very effective in such a mysterious location. The film 3 Days in Havana (2013), from directing team Gil Bellows and Tony Pantages, boasts a great setting and talented actors who move through it. Unfortunately, this rushed feature is unable to establish a tone, moving from one genre to the next quickly over its brief runtime. The film builds up to some fascinating situations, but, ultimately, it goes nowhere.

After a chance encounter in a bar during a business trip to Havana, mild mannered insurance executive Jack Petty (Gil Bellows) finds himself in way over his head and involved in a deadly, international assassination plot. His instant friend Harry Smith (Greg Wise) may seem like just the companion Jack needs to help him loosen up and enjoy his time in Cuba. However, this eccentric character is hiding a dark secret that slowly becomes clear to the audience as the film progresses, and he ends up dragging Jack down right along with him.

The plot of 3 Days in Havana may be underwhelming, but the beautiful location shots of Cuba do hold the attention of an audience. It would have been enjoyable to explore this city and its landscapes, peoples, and cultures along with the protagonist Jack and his fun new friend Harry, and the audience is afforded this opportunity in several well-done early scenes. Channelling Sam Rockwell in all his eccentric and careless glory, Greg Wise presents a magnetic Harry who easily steals the too few scenes in which he appears. The interactions between Jack and Harry are consistently amusing, and all too brief. The film’s score is also well matched to each moment in the work, and one can easily see the potential for an interesting take on vacation life in Cuba.

The main problem with this film lies in its inability to maintain a consistent tone. What at the outset feels like a fun romp through the sweaty city of Havana quickly becomes a hurried and messy thriller with obvious twists and brutal, unnecessarily uncomfortable torture sequences. Even the intrigue falls a bit flat, failing to fully capture an audience. I can generally pick out a Canadian made film with ease, and this film even makes use of direct references to the country in dialogue and images, such as prominent Canadian flags and portraits of Prime Ministers. The film lacked the heart and quirkiness that I enjoy in an effective Canadian feature, however, choosing instead to take a violent route that it was unable to back up with a solid and interesting plot.

3 Days in Havana certainly had a lot of potential, with its stylish filming and fascinating location. Unfortunately, the film is simply full of too many idiosyncrasies to make any sense either as a dark assassination thriller or a lighter adventure story. Although there are some effective build-ups, ultimately, not much happens in this movie, and some sequences feel rushed in order to fit them into the scant eighty-three minute runtime. A film stronger in its cinematography than its substance, 3 Days in Havana required a bit more story and a lot more consistency.