Chico and Rita

The billboard at the cinema immediately caught my attention: a brown nude couple in splendid animation. The movie showing at the theater in Madrid was Chico y Rita and although I couldn't really understand the Spanish synopsis, I was intrigued. What I did recognize was the cities (Havana and Nueva York) that the movie was set in.

Later, at the music store (I was searching for the most popular music in Spain) I noticed the soundtrack for the movie on the shelf of popular items. The disc included music from Thelonius Monk, Nat King Cole, Dizzy Gillespie and Tito Puente. That was enough for me to buy a movie ticket.

The animated love story centered on two musicians--a gospel singer and a pianist. It follows them from Havana to New York and back with stops in Paris, Las Vegas and other cities and the ups and downs of their relationship and their difficulties in the music business (They have drama, y'all). Those familiar with those cities will recognize landmarks like the Village Vanguard, Rockefeller Center and the Eiffel Tower.

In Madrid, the movie played in Spanish with no subtitles. Although I'm not the greatest Spanish speaker--OK, I'm poor--I got the gist of the movie, which was great. It was the perfect movie for me to stretch my language skills. Apparently, it's also playing in London and Brussels. Here's to more widespread distribution.

Note: Although this movie is animated, the nudity and sexual content make it a no-no for the kiddies.