Alicia Veliz – Guest Writer
Based on the novel The Last Soldiers of the Cold War written by Fernando Morais, the movie tells the story of a group of Cuban intelligence officers known as the Cuban Five (aka Miami Five), who pose as defectors in order to infiltrate anti-Castro terrorist groups in Miami during the 90s.
The editing is a bit choppy on this one which made it exceedingly difficult to follow at times. It was a bit confusing when it jumped backwards and then forwards due to poor transitioning during scenes.
I strongly believe that this movie shows you what years of brainwashing can do to a person. If you have been told your entire life that the sun rises and sets because of a person eventually you are going to believe it, no matter how ridiculous the idea sounds.
The main character, played by Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez, did not seem like he was being forced to do the things that he did. But he did what he had to do in order to get his family out to get a chance at a better life. I think it was more about survival than a fierce loyalty for him which is why he stood out more than the other characters for me. Even though he still never betrayed the Cuban government.
Unfortunately even though we have a strong cast here and the acting wasn’t too bad it did take some doing on my part to stay attentive to the material. There were some scenes that really dragged out for me. The Wasp Network was able to foil many terrorist plots but they were working illegally within the confines of the United States which is why they were arrested and incarcerated for espionage.
The film is not totally bad; it’s watchable because the material is interesting, but it lacks the power to hold the audience throughout.
Rating: 6 out of 10
For my Quick Bite review of World War II naval epic Greyhound you can click here.