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7.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Romance Tropical remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for early sound-era experiments and don't mind a story that wanders off into a song whenever it feels like it, you’ll dig this. People who need tight, logical pacing or serious dramatic stakes? They’ll probably be bored to tears within fifteen minutes. It’s a bit of a relic, honestly, but a strangely likable one.
There’s something about the way Raquel Canino handles the camera—or rather, how the camera sort of just hangs out with her—that feels very different from the stiff, stage-bound stuff coming out of Hollywood at the time. It’s got this loose, almost improvisational vibe.
The plot is thin, really thin. It’s mostly just an excuse to get to the next musical number. But when the music hits, you stop caring that the dialogue feels a little dusty. Actually, the songs are the only thing keeping the energy from bottoming out entirely.
I noticed a moment where the background extras seemed to be having a much better time than the actual lead actors. It’s funny when you catch someone in the back row looking at the camera, then quickly jerking their head away. Nobody told them to keep a straight face, I guess.
It’s a far cry from the slapstick chaos of Spite Marriage or the tighter, more frantic energy you’d find in The Karnival Kid. It’s slower. It breathes. Maybe it breathes a little too much, actually.
The whole thing feels like a rough draft of a movie that never quite got a final polish, but that’s precisely why it works. It doesn't feel manufactured. It feels like a genuine, slightly sweaty, musical snapshot.
Sometimes, the frame lingers on a tree or a mountain range just a second too long, almost like the director forgot to yell 'cut.' I liked that. It felt human. It’s definitely not a masterpiece, but it’s a nice little trip if you’re in the mood for something that doesn’t take itself too seriously 🌴.