La tropical

Shot in black-and-white, La Tropical serves as an atmospheric portrait of Cuba in the twilight of Castro's rule.

First and foremost a celebration of Cuban dance and music.

Crammed with comments from patrons and performers, La Tropical is a sensual celebration of people for whom dancing is the "most important nonreligious ritual."

Offers a rarely seen view of the barrio in Havana and demonstrates the importance of dance and music in dealing with pervasive racism and crippling poverty.

When Turnley ventures into broader political or sociological commentary, one wishes that he'd step back and let the music, uniformly and ass-shakingly irresistible, take center stage.

Shot in beautifully textured black-and-white video and then transferred to film, the movie has an intoxicating, sexually charged rhythm and seems sharply attuned to the lives of the impoverished black musicians, singers, and dancers who perform at the club. Unfortunately, it's poorly structured, and the absence of a unifying shape significantly blunts its impact.