Creating a new style

Despite Chico & Rita being an animated feature, the co- directors spent four weeks in late 2007 filming in Havana. This proved invaluable, for two reasons. Explains Trueba, “You can give the optical information of the actors’ movements to the animators, and also make more organic camera movements, more human

How a few lines can become human

But he’d be the first to admit he was initially resistant. “I was thinking, my God, for once I’m doing an animation movie, I don’t need to work with actors. It was Tono who convinced me to do it, and he was completely right.”
Adds Errando: “On the fourth day, I remember at the end of the night, Fernando gave me a big hug, and said, OK, now I understand why we are doing this. We are bringing the soul of the script to the film.”

"A brilliant homage to the cinema, to music and to love stories"

Luis Martínez / El Mundo
"A stunning series of images, a genuine visual feast."

Llàtzer Moix / La Vanguardia
"One is left with the sensation of having seen something familiar, warm and, let’s confess, beautiful"

Luis Martínez / El Mundo
"The architecture of Havana and New York filtered by Mariscal’s particular iconography. "

Federico Simón / El País
"Riddled with movie references as well as musical ones. It is a tribute that is full of sensuality."

N. S. / El Periódico
"Mariscal and Trueba’s creative torrent flows through a city with wide open balconies. "

C. Jiménez / Ine.es
"One of the best films ever made about jazz, I can’t think of any other that is truer and more moving."

Gary Giddins / Film Comment
"Mariscal has captured the essence of Havana in the 40s and 50s with impressive beauty, detail and colour. "

Rebeca Mauleón
"An intense and sexy yet turbulent love story"

telegraph.co.uk
"It transports you to the vibrant, violent, sensual world of Havana in the 40s."

Laura Snoad / designweek.co.uk
"Visually hypnotic, musically electric "

Stephen Farber / Film Review
"The elegant Central Park winter scene is memorable"

Stephen Farber / Film Review
"The best musical of the year"

Philip French / The Observer
"Mariscal has created the sexiest cartoon female since Jessica Rabbit. "

Paul Whitington / Independent
"For all the romantics out there"

Helen O'Hara / Empire
"Absolutely unique"

Chris Sullivan / Metropoli
"The golden age of cartoons continues"

Pam Grady / Movies.Yahoo.
"Pure pleasure"

Meredith Brody / ThompsonOnHollywood
"A feast for one’s sight and hearing, These are easily the best 90 minutes I’ve spent in the cinema this year."

Joseph Fahim /Daily News Egypt
"Impeccable work of art"

David Jenkins / Time Out
"The virtuosity does not decline in this visually impressive and musically rich film"

Lisa Mullen / Sight and Sound
"I have fallen in love with a film full of so much life, warmth and love and it reminded me what style in the movies is about"

Shane McNeil / Toronto Film Scene
"This is a classical Hollywood film and truly a work of art"

Shane McNeil / Toronto Film Scene
"Mariscal's drawings are magical"

Jenny McCartney / Seven The Sunday
"The best jazz soundtrack in decades"

Chris Sullivan / Metropoli
"One of the 10 best films of the year"

Mark Kermode (BBC)
"Almost unimaginably rich and resonant!. Sexy, sweet … an animated valentine to Cuba and its music"

AO Scott / NY Times
"A swooningly beautiful, adults-only drama!. Evokes a bygone era as well as, or maybe even better than, The Artist!"

Lou Lumenick / New York Post
"Chico & Rita is the first big serendipitous surprise of 2012! A dazzling and delightful work of modernist animation!"

Andrew O-Hehir / Salon
"The grown-up choice to win this year’s oscar for animated feature!"

Marshall Fine / Huffington Post
"Beautiful! a swaying, sexy, dream of a movie! The year's best musical, and one of the year's finest animated films!"

The Observer