Film Review: ‘Papa Hemingway in Cuba’ is Sadly Inauthentic

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CHICAGO – Getting the opportunity to trod upon the very ground that Ernest Hemingway once trod must have been a heady experience for the producers of “Papa Hemingway in Cuba.” But location simply isn’t enough if such a literary legend is to come to life.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.0/5.0
Rating: 2.0/5.0

The film was directed by noted producer Bob Yari, his second effort, but it smacked of something that had problems all along the way, including sound design and story structure. Yes, the production got permission to film at the actual sites of Hemingway’s haunts in Cuba – his house, for example, had been lovingly preserved by the government there – but unfortunately that seemed like enough for the film. There was absolutely no life to the story, and there were several bad casting choices…including Papa Hemingway…and the film lands with a thud rather than a heralding for the man, image and essence of the legendary writer.

Based on a true story, the center of it all is Ed Myers (Giovanni Ribisi), a Miami newspaper reporter based in the 1950s, who personally thinks he owes his very existence as a writer to Ernest “Papa” Hemingway (Adrian Sparks). He expresses it in a letter that he intends to send to the writer, and it takes his girlfriend Debbie (Minka Kelly) to complete the task, and send it to Papa.

As a result of the letter, Myers is asked to come to Cuba to visit Hemingway, and arrives to find the writer’s wife, Mary (Joely Richardson), welcoming him as well. He adapts himself into the quasi-family that Papa had developed in Cuba, while the revolution led by Fidel Castro is going on around the Hemingway compound. The only thing constant, it seems, is change. 


“Papa Hemingway in Cuba” had its nationwide release on April 29th. See local listings for theaters and show times. Featuring Giovanni Ribisi, Minka Kelly, Joely Richardson, Adrian Sparks and James Remar. Written by Denne Bart Petitcierc. Directed by Bob Yari. Rated “R”

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Papa Hemingway in Cuba”

Giovanni Ribisi, Adrian Sparks
Ed Myers (Giovanni Ribisi) and Ernest Hemingway (Adrian Sparks) in ‘Papa Hemingway in Cuba’
Photo credit: Yari Film Group

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Papa Hemingway in Cuba”

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