Hector Medina appears in a scene from the film, "Viva."
An unlikely Irish-Cuban co-production, Viva is, like its central subject, beautiful to look at but ultimately lacking depth. Focusing on Jesus (Hector Medina), a Havana hairdresser and nightclub lackey, the drama traces the young man's love affair with drag as it collides messily with the reappearance of his deadbeat dad, Angel (Jorge Perugorria). There's the expected push-pull between conservative and liberal values, and a few sappy scenes exploring the complicated nature of the ties that bind. While director Paddy Breathnach shoots the Havana cityscape as a scorching, gritty mess, no amount of vibrant scenery can distract from the tired melodrama that engulfs the rest of the film.