Three Days in Havana Trailer (2013)

Trailer for Three Days in Havana.

Jack Petty (Gil Bellows, who directs with Tony Pantages) sits in an airport bar, nursing a drink. He’s on a stopover halfway to Havana, and so is the sexy lady who chats him up, giving him travel tips and whispering something scary in his ear. He’ll meet her again, in the midst of a conspiracy that includes assassination, kidnapping and more.

This a film with a lot of tradition behind it: some major Hitchcock (particularly Strangers on a Train and The 39 Steps); the wised-up dialogue of old film noir; and the gritty detail and sharp plot twists of contemporary thrillers. It’s all put across with high spirits, and the cast is stellar—highlights include Christopher Heyerdahl as a slick member of the Canadian Consulate, John Cassini as a ruthless mob boss, and Phyllida Law as… well, you’ll see. And there are many other colourful characters, none of them trustworthy, most of them with their sights set on poor Jack. He’ll have to outwit, outrun or outfight them all—a tall order for a mere businessman on a conference trip. But he’s surprisingly cool under pressure. The fun here comes not just from the close shaves and slick repartee but from the knowledge, quickly acquired, that nothing is what it seems.