Taking place in Havana, Cuba, Una Noche, directed by Lucy Mulloy depicts the struggle of three individuals before and during their attempt to escape to Miami. Raul, after being accused of assaulting a tourist, is being pursued by the cops and looks towards his best friend Elio to make a quick escape to Miami. Raul does not think twice about leaving Cuba for he just learned that his mom was a prostitute, and he is being tracked by the police. For Elio, leaving is not so easy as he would have to leave behind his close sister, Lila. Lila is a strong teenage girl who holds her own throughout the movie. This movie offers an interesting look into the city of Havana and the culture that thrives in it. From gathering the supplies for the journey to discovering the truth about their parents, Elio and Lila stick together until the end when Elio dies on the journey to Miami. Elio eventually reveals that he is gay, which ruins his friendship with Raul but does not make a difference to his loving sister, Lila. Una Noche is a brilliant film that mixes in modern topics such as the acceptance of gays and the barrier between Cuba and the U.S.. I really enjoyed the overall production of the film as it resulted in a very entertaining film. I would recommend this movie to everyone who enjoys movies.

. Overall I really I enjoyed this film. I thought that it did a nice job showing the daily lives of Cubans, that some to this very day still have to go through. It should the social and economic crisis of Cuba, and how most people are treated very poorly due to their social status. The actors in the film were able to emotionally and physically act in the way that made everything seem more surreal, and the fact that they spoke the native language, made things even more intriguing to watch. Seeing this film can make others realize that there are people in the world who are less fortunate, and are living in extreme and horrible conditions, and have to commit to doing something that they would not do if they were given a choice. I would not have changed anything in the film, because I was emotionally connected to every scene that was presented, the ending of the film led me to curiosity, because it doesn't actually tell you what will happen to the main actors, it leaves you thinking what you would think will happen, and that makes a great film. Based on this reasoning I would give this film a 5/5 stars

Lucy Mulloy's UNA NOCHE is exquisitely edited. There are maybe two or three clichéd shots, which stand out precisely because the film as a whole is so fluent and sure handed in its visual rhythms. It is, broadly speaking, divided into two sections, both as a film and as a story: the second, which centers on the life-changing night referred to in the title, and the first, which leads up to it. In the transition from the first to the second part, a stylistic shift occurs.The lead-up is narrated by Lila, the female protagonist, a teen-aged Cuban concerned about her brother, Elio, who is plotting to leave Havana for Miami on a rickety raft that he is constructing with his friend Raúl. His motives for leaving are more complex than it seems, but Lila only feels the impending loss that his parting would represent. She shadows him, and tracks down and tries to thwart his plan, and ultimately accompanies the two boys in their escape... READ MORE:http://osburnt.com/una-noche/

'Una Noche', is first time feature director Lucy Mulloy's take on modern day Cuba and its attendant contradictions. Mulloy is New York based but spent a good deal of time in Cuba, learning about its culture. In the first third of the film, before the main plot kicks in, we're introduced to Lila, a teenager living in Havana with her brother Elio and her parents.Lila serves as both narrator and 'observer' of the action. She is worried about her brother Elio, who has befriended the homophobic Raúl, who both work at a pantry. Elio has developed a secret crush on Raúl, who has dreams of escaping to Miami in order to make a better life for himself.Mulloy not only sets out to tell a story based on a real-life event, but also give us a feel for what Cuba is like today. The city of Havana appears to be full of run-down buildings and cars from the 1950s, still running on the street. Cuba is still a paternalistic culture, evidenced by its widespread disdain for gay people. We see that when a group of youths on bicycles taunt a gay kid walking on the street. Raúl's homophobia is also on constant display—in one particular memorable scene, he curses out a prostitute after he discovers she's a transsexual. Raúl also may be typical of the 'macho' type who treats women as sex objects. He's always coming on to Lila who will have none of it, and protects herself by taking Taekwondo lessons. Lila is also alienated when she follows her father and observes him making love to another woman.It takes a while but the plot gets in gear when Raúl purchases some medication on the black market for his AIDS-infected mother, who works as a prostitute. When he comes home to give her the medication, he finds her having sex with a tourist which enrages him. Raúl assaults the tourist and later we find out that he's wanted by the police since the tourist may actually end up dying (assaulting tourists appears to be a very serious offense, in economically depressed Cuba).Now Raúl must go the U.S. or else he'll end up rotting in a Cuban prison. Elio, reluctant earlier, now decides to go with Raúl to the U.S. Lila, the perennial observer, confronts Elio in front of Raúl, and begs him not to go with him. When she can't dissuade him, she agrees to help the guys with their makeshift raft. The superstitious Raúl insists on going to a woman who attempts to lift a potential curse the three may be facing, when they're adrift at sea.The last third of the movie and the dark moment of the second act is when Raúl, Lila and Elio attempt to make it to the U.S. on their flimsy raft. Neither the motor or GPS work, so they're relegated to paddling with tiny oars. I won't give away the ending but suffice it to say, things don't go well for the hapless trio.Dariel Arrechada steals the show as the rough and surly Raúl. The part of Lila (played by Anailin de la Rua de la Torre) is underdeveloped since her role appears mainly relegated to the part of the narrator. Javier Nuñez Florian does well as the less extroverted Elio, playing off nicely against the more aggressive Raúl. In a major real-life postscript to the film, both actors playing Lila and Elio, ended up defecting to the United States.Lucy Mulloy is an up and coming director to watch. She has a feel for both the camera and the actors she directs. Mulloy not only captures the troubled nature of Cuban society but also its incredible buoyancy. In her next feature, perhaps it might be a good idea to rely less on narration to move her story along. I have no doubt that Hollywood will be offering this talented director some higher budgeted jobs in the future.