The Film:

Set in pre-revolution Cuba Mariano Barroso's Hormigas en la Boca a.k.a Ants in the Mouth follows the story of ex-Spanish activist Martin (Eduard Fernandez) who has decided to uncover the whereabouts of his ex-girlfriend Julia (Ariadna Gil). The true reason behind Martin's journey to Cuba however is a formidable amount of money which Julia has stolen in an attempt to rebuild her life. Faced with corruption, greedy politicians, and a city on the verge of social collapse Martin will have to act as quickly as possible.

A strange hybrid of a film Ants in the Mouth is neither a typical political thriller nor a conventional romantic story. It is a bit of both offering just about the right dose of suspense to keep you guessing complimented by a captivating love affair set amidst the stunningly beautiful vistas of Havana. Indeed there is something unusually attractive in following a thriller where the cinematography is so mesmerizing that we quickly forget about the few plot holes Ants in the Mouth offers.

While most of Mariano Barroso's film is concerned with Martin's search for Julia the director has also successfully managed to recreate the urgency of pre-revolution Cuba by sneaking in tiny bits of what is soon to become a reality. There is chaos, secret killings, police interrogations, and plenty of concerned military faces indicating that Castro's rebels are slowly but surely approaching Havana. Amidst this entire chaotic environment Ants in the Mouth also provides an unforgettable soundtrack filled with the intoxicating sounds of Cuban musicians performing in late-night smoky locales. As a result the film easily transports its viewers to a world where violence and beauty compliment each other.

Tiptoeing on the verge of becoming too beautiful and too sweet of a film to be taken seriously by the critics Ants in the Mouth manages to maintain crucial balance by rapidly switching the tempo of its story at times when the viewer least expects it. The final scene in which the stunningly beautiful Ariadna Gil (Segunda Piel) reveals her secret is indeed quite powerful and provides a fitting finale to this pleasurable film.

Underneath its thick layer of beautiful cinematography and relaxing Cuban tunes, however, Ants in the Mouth also reveals a world infested with shady characters and corrupted officials giving Havana a somewhat rougher look. The vintage cars seen all over the Cuban capital and the lively bars overflowing with people reminded me about New Orleans and its notorious nightlife. In Mariano Barroso's Havana however it was rather unusual to see how everything was a façade under which criminals and corrupted politicians were living in harmony. Indeed Ants in the Mouth is a film of bizarre contrasts!!

Delivered to the North American market by Warner Brothers as part of their new series of Latin cinema titled simply Coleccion Latina Ants in the Mouth is a welcome addition to a sea of releases that often lack proper quality. Knowing the excellent track record the studio has I am extremely happy to see Ants in the Mouth released and hope that we will see a number of contemporary Latin films on the US market with the typical for WB high quality.

Awards/Recognition:

Hormigas en la Boca a.k.a Ants in the Mouth is the winner of the Silver Biznaga Award for Best Actor (Eduard Fernandez) at the Malaga Spanish Film Festival and was nominated for a Goya Award (Best Costume Design-Sonia Grande), and Best Catalan Film Actor (Eduard Fernandez) at the Butaca Awards, Barcelona (2005).

How Does the DVD Look?

Note: DVDTALK was provided only with preliminary screeners (DVD-R) for Coleccion Latina which Warner Brothers will launch in February (the two films announced so far are Hormigas en la Boca and La Ultima Noche). Therefore at this point I can not provide our readers with final comments regarding the video quality of this DVD. The screener that was sent to us was in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

How Does the DVD Sound?

As mentioned above I will update this review with the adequate technical specs once I receive the final disc from Warner Brothers. The screener we were sent offered the original Spanish audio track with white English subtitles.

Extras:

None at this point, will be updated once the final product arrives.

Final Words:

Although I am yet to see the market release for Ants in the Mouth I decided to run this preliminary review (which later on I will update with the final specs) because I truly enjoyed the film and I am very excited that Warner Brothers have decided to expand their market output by launching a new collection of contemporary Latin films. I have no doubts that the studio will provide each of their films with a deserving quality and judging by the preliminary promotional materials supplied for the first two releases the cover work is quite well done as well. Based only on the strength of the main feature: RECOMMENDED!