After 5 minutes spent recovering from the surprise of discovering that this was a completely animated film (having decided to see it ‘blind’, based on a fleeting glimpse of a one sheet during my daily commute), it took perhaps another 30 minutes or so before I genuinely began to relax and warm to this film. Tempering my initial enthusiasm was the style of animation – on the one hand, the pared back format gave the entire film a modern retro feel, conjuring up beguilingly images of a neon-lit, pre-revolution Cuba. But the borderline minimalist representation of Chico, Rita and a host of supporting characters completely diminished the facial expressions (and by extension, the emotions) on display. At times, it seemed to threaten my connection to the characters, making it hard to empathise and sink into the tumult of the l—- story being played out on screen, especially when allied with overblown, borderline gorgonzola dialogue and a plot that might easily be considered hackneyed.

But levelling that kind of criticism would be to miss the point of this appealing cinematic bauble. Certainly, it’s hard to imagine a live action version of this film that wouldn’t sink under the weight of the clichéd characters and plot points, or actors that could do any better than their animated counterparts. But what seems like an excessively simplistic approach to all the fine arts of filmmaking turns out to be the perfect foil for a story that is all about the music, a symphony of beautifully rendered Cuban rhythms that is the film’s beating heart, propelling the two l——- together before forcing them apart.  It is the music that infuses the film with genuine emotion and sens-ality that the spoken interludes can only aspire to – indeed it almost seems as though the prosaic dialogue has been deliberately tempered, hammering home the crude inadequacy of the spoken word when compared to the soaring heights of music and lyrics.

It’s all a testament to the score, whose non-stop piano and vocals (some courtesy of some blink and you’ll miss ‘em cameos from jazz greats, as well as clever nods to contemporary classics like On the Town and Casablanca) are a constant companion, that by the time the credits roll, you’ll have a lump in your throat the size of Cuba.