Yeah, that's right, I'm recommending the new Dirty Dancing movie. Be honest, though. If it were just called Havana Nights, you wouldn't recoil in horror the way you do with the full title. Now, if they had just edited out the distracting cameo from Patrick Swayze ...
Yes, there is some dirty dancing. Yes, it largely follows the "poor, little, rich girl falls for guy from the wrong side of the tracks, social upheaval ensues" formula. Other than that, Havana Nights is its own movie.
It also adds a political context, taking place just before Castro's rebels overthrow the Cuban government in 1958, setting up an unconventional ending that some may not appreciate. Add the salsa-flavored music and this is twice the movie You Got Served or the original Dirty Dancing could ever hope to be.
None of this would matter were the two leads not so immensely appealing. Romola Garai plays the bookish, young Katey. She's preparing to go to college when her family whisks her off to Cuba. The vibrancy of the Cuban culture, dancing included, opens her eyes to a new world. Her wholesome, innocent beauty radiates all the more.
When she falls for Xavier (Diego Luna), a hotel servant, the two must keep their romance a secret: Katey, because her parents and friends wouldn't approve of a local; Xavier, because his family is distrustful of gringos. Both performances are so unexpectedly charming, they swept me off my feet.