Havana

During a period of upheaval in Cuba, a seasoned gambler arrives with plans to conquer the local poker scene, chasing one big score before the island's political tides shift again. He crosses paths with the wife of a revolutionary leader, a wary woman with her own code of loyalty, and what starts as a charged affair soon pulls them into a web of risk that blends romance with danger. As the revolution heats up, the couple must weigh affection against political forces and personal ambition. The casino rooms become a theater for risk, doubles, and whispers, while the outside world trembles with change. The film uses music and atmosphere to sketch a world where luck is as fragile as political change.

Directed by Sydney Pollack, Havana opened in 1990 with Robert Redford and Lena Olin in a drama about desire and danger in Cuba, based on an original screenplay by David Rayfiel and Judith Rascoe. The production bears Pollack's character focus.

Box office figures show Havana earned roughly 9.2 million worldwide, a performance that kept pace with a high production cost and limited distribution. It opened in select markets and faced competition from bigger summer releases. Its release strategy limited exposure.

Havana didn't become a defining cultural moment; its value lies in mood and performance rather than iconic scenes. The Cuban backdrop gives the period atmosphere, and the costumes and locations lend authenticity, though it didn't spark lasting memes or famous lines. That restraint emphasizes personal choices over spectacle for audiences.

Critics praised film's polished look and the uneasy spark between Redford and Olin, while some felt the plot leaned toward romance over political backdrop. The story probes risk and loyalty and the cost of desire amid upheaval. Its mood stays truly steady even when romance complicates loyalties. For viewers today.