RATING: B+

Breaking Glass Pictures presents a Atelier Makarenko/La Danta Films/Alaye production in association with Aja Entertainment, Codice Cinema, Unity Rentals S.A. de C.V. Written and directed by Fabian Suarez. Produced by Mauricio Escobar and Camelia Farfan. Cinematography by Javier Labrador Deulofeu. Edited by Juan Manuel Gamazo.

Stars Juan Miguel Mas, Noslen Sanchez, Roberto Diaz Gomar, Gabriela Griffith, Veronica Diaz, Edith Massola, Williams Quintana, and Barbara Llanes.

A suffering man finally may have found love again in this LGBTQ drama from filmmaker Fabian Suarez.

Cherri is a middle-aged gay man in Havana who is stuck in a suffering marriage. His husband, Luis, has been disabled and all Cherri feels he has become is his caretaker. Cherri spends his days teaching ballet to a group of plus-sized people and also selling antiques. Forced into a situation he never imagined being a part of, he meets a man named Tim, and he starts an affair with him.

While he knows that Tim is taking advantage of him and doesn’t see him as a potential partner, Cherri finds himself being unable to overcome it. As he prepares for a major show with his troupe, a wave of feelings begin to take their effects on him. Cherri begins to realize that Luis may be more than he can handle and hopes that one day, Tim will see him as more than a conquest.

This film from Cuban filmmaker Fabian Suarez is a character study of a gay man who finds himself in a sufferable situation. We see him in his daily life, as he attempts to take care of his disabled husband, having an affair with a young security guard, working with a plus-size group in a weight center, and at times, finding someone he can actually rely on in the form of his straight female friend, who has a wild side when it comes to clubbing.

The film is driven by a fantastic performance by Juan Miguel Mas in the lead role of the titular Cherri. We see a combination of his dreaming of finding success and happiness. However, we see his real life of having to take care of his disabled husband Luis. He is also having an affair with Tim, played by Noslen Sanchez, a hunky security guard who clearly isn’t attracted to Cherri but sees him as a good conquest now and again. Despite that, Cherri is determined to show Tim that it is more than that.

We see Cherri not only “happy” with Tim, but when he is at the weight center helping the ballet troupe and with Neri, his straight female friend with a wild side, who can clearly see he is suffering and wants to help but at times is not sure how. And interestingly enough, Cherri can see Neri wants him to be happy. 

Cherri is an interesting character study of a man who wants happiness despite the situation he finds himself in. While on the surface, it may seem like a ho-hum film, the message is clear and thankfully, Juan Manuel Mas’s performance in the titular role really reflects on his intentions and determination to find the happiness he needs in his life.