Havana Motor Club | Reviews |

Robert Abele Apr 7, 2016

"With President Obama's historic visit to Cuba a fresh memory, "Havana Motor Club" gives moviegoers a nicely turned street-level view of what imminent change means to these particular children of the Revolution."

Nicolas Rapold Apr 7, 2016

"This isn’t “Buena Vista Social Club” ...or a real-life “Fast and Furious.” Mr. Perlmutt ultimately shows that for these drivers, car culture runs deeper than simply winning or losing a race."

Monica Castillo Apr 5, 2016

"The camera looks lovingly at the Fifties American muscle cars while also capturing the enthusiasm and hope in these men's stories. They're not just looking to bring legitimacy to their racing club, but also to help build a new Cuba that won't persecute their passion."

Jack Rix Mar 29, 2016

"Yes, there are fast cars and larger than life characters, but really this is a film about a country at a crossroads – and racing is the perfect vehicle to tell that story."

Jim Motavalli Apr 21, 2016

"This doc (shot in lovely, saturated color) has checkered flags, photo finishes, fierce rivalries, and lots of pigs and cows wandering into the frame. I was wondering how that Porsche got into Cuba—apparently by titling it as a Mitsubishi."

Elana Scherr Apr 8, 2016

"Havana Motor Club tells the story of a group of would-be racers trying to bring some legitimacy to their beloved sport. You don’t need to speak Spanish to relate"

Jennie Kermode Apr 2, 2016

"Perlmutt really knows his stuff and effortlessly evokes the iconic movie imagery that evolved to show these automobiles at their best. This gives the film a romantic character that goes deeper than the enthusiasm of its subjecs or the strange history of the island itself."

Andrea Barsanti Apr 16, 2016

"Un viaggio a 200 all’ora nel mondo delle corse clandestine cubane, fatto di piloti e auto senza età tenuti insieme dalla passione per la velocità, in patria considerata non soltanto pericolosa, ma soprattutto fuorilegge: questo, in estrema sintesi, il progetto di Havan Motor Club."

Pilar Ayuso Apr 7, 2016

"Gran autenticidad y pasión posee este retrato cubano de una práctica que subsiste underground y lucha por imponerse profesionalmente, entre carencias y restricciones, en un país donde los corredores de autos vivieron tiempos de gloria, hasta que el deporte murió, legalmente, con la revolución."

Louis Proyect Apr 8, 2016

"A vastly entertaining documentary about the underground drag racing scene in Cuba that is also about as informative a take on the social and economic reforms being pushed by Raul Castro as you can find anywhere. It ...is by far the best documentary I have seen thus far in 2016."

Pablo de Llano Apr 8, 2016

"El documental es un espectáculo mecánico, de humor y de resiliencia cubana. Tan entretenido como ilustrativo, Havana Motor Club levanta la tapa del motor de Cuba y enseña varias claves que ayudan a comprender la compleja maquinaria de esta sociedad."

Jim Tudor Apr 6, 2016

"Hanging out and tooling around Cuba in classic cars, and experiencing the country's first legitimate race in decades, makes Havana Motor Club not just a breezy and satisfying documentary, but a terrific car movie as well."

Donna Kelly Mar 18, 2016

"Inspiring, thrilling and visually stunning, the HAVANA MOTOR CLUB is more than just a film about racing, it’s about Cuba’s divided emotions."

Peter Wong Oct 8, 2015

"“Havana Motor Club”’s ultimate appeal doesn’t come from the competitions. It comes from seeing history slowly change for ordinary Cubans."

Lauren Wissot Apr 20, 2015

"This beautifully shot, high-octane doc follows a group of underground drivers in the Cuban capital as they piece together car parts (or in one case, the engine of a refugees’ raft that has sunk), tinker with their unlikely autos (from sleek Porsche to weathered Chevy), and compete fiercely yet with a strong sense of solidarity"

"Perlmutt has crafted a unique study into a populace’s resourcefulness and rebellion in the face of a tightly controlled bureaucracy averse to any risk. Ironically, that same spirit that brought the Castros to power in the first place seems alive and well in these post-Revolutionary racers – and is shown deftly through the lens of one hardscrabble motor club."

Diane Panosian Apr 20, 2015

“Mixes Fast and Furious with Cuban culture for a documentary that couldn’t be more now. Perlmutt’s use of lively Cuban music also submerges you in the culture...Better act fast and nab the rights if you want to be the first to cross the finish line.”

Steve Kopian Apr 20, 2015

"This film had me smiling from ear to ear. I loved this film...There is a beauty and a sense of being alive that I've never felt about a city on film. This film is pure magic.”

Alexander George Apr 24, 2015

"Havana Motor Club is the Fast & Furious, Cuban-style"

Brandon Harris Apr 16, 2015

"Perlmutt, one of the most adventurous young documentarians working, has spent years profiling a half dozen of the illegal sports’ most dogged, promising practioneers. Premiering just as the political barriers that have long plagued the Communist country are starting the fade away, the film couldn’t be more topical.”

Bill Morris May 6, 2015

"This thrilling and sobering documentary arrives just as President Obama and Raúl Castro are taking steps to close the half-century-old rift between the United states and Cuba, the last dusty relic of the Cold War. Havana Motor Club uses the history and current state of car racing in car-crazed Cuba as a lens for examining the island nation’s divided emotions as it gets ready to navigate a treacherous crossroads — the place where communism and capitalism intersect and collide."

David Salazar Apr 25, 2015

"The climax of the film is beautifully executed with the tension ramped up in a way that no fiction film could possible top. And the moment of truth is quite impactful as well in its suspense and the awe it inspires. You simply cannot make up what happens at that finish line. On the surface, "Havana Motor Club" might seem like a movie for niche audiences with an interest in drag racing. But the film is a historic document that allows viewers an opportunity to explore a nation that has maintained itself cut off in many respects from the rest of the world. Through the film, this world is opened up through its people who work every day for dreams and goals that many of us take for granted in our daily lives."

Hannah Elliot Apr 28, 2015

"The documentary Havana Motor Club is rich with the grease and glory of American muscle cars in Cuba...The film is enriched by Cuban music, lavish colors, and beautifully shot American(ish) muscle cars. But it’s about much more than car racing. It shows how it feels to sacrifice and strive for something uncertain—and it shows that sometimes the endeavor is more about daily devotion than the ultimate goal."

Brandon Harris Apr 20, 2015

"'Havana Motor Club' Looks at the Glory and Ingenuity Behind Cuba's Underground Drag Racing Scene"

William Wheeler Feb 25, 2015

"In Cuba, racing is revolution."