I love movies that know *exactly* what they are and then execute that identity with panache. Cuban Fury is one of those movies. Structurally, it’s not unique and it strictly adheres to the same formulaic underdog rom-com story arc you’ve seen a thousand times before. Yet there is a reason why that formula exists… it works.

The star of the film, Nick Frost, crafted the story and its clear from the get-go that he’s fully got his heart (and his feet) in it. The premise is that his character, Bruce Garrett, was once a child prodigy in the art of salsa dancing. We discover his rise to national prominence in Britain was abruptly halted in adolescence and the audience now joins Bruce as an adult, diligently working in the engineering office of a global lathe manufacturer. Rashida Jones arrives on the scene as Julia, the new division boss from the American branch, and Bruce suddenly finds himself thrown into a competition for her attention with the office lothario and his daily tormentor, Drew, deliciously played by Chris O’Dowd. Improbably, Julia is revealed to be a salsa practitioner and Bruce must now convince his former mentor, Ron Parfitt, whom Bruce spurned as a child, to help him regain his groove so he can woo the fetching Julia. The irrepressible Ian McShane is perfectly cast to play Parfitt, naturally. Add into this mix an excellent supporting cast of the Oscar-winning Olivia Colman, Rory Kinnear and Kayvan Novak and you have assembled an A-list company for delivering rom-com excellence. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, Novak, of What We Do in the Shadows fame, steals every scene he is in as the flat-Fanta-sipping metrosexual friend who makes continual references to movies made in 1985 and whose stylistic makeover helps Bruce find his flare.) And, yes, there is a hilarious mini-cameo by Simon Pegg, but don’t blink or you’ll miss it…

I have no idea why this movie isn’t more widely known, nor why it receives such a middling response in places like Rotten Tomatoes. It’s one of the funniest, most enjoyable movies I’ve seen in recent years. I had never heard of it when I stumbled across it about two years ago, which truly baffled me given the depth of the cast and how long it has been around. (It was released in 2014). I can only assume two things really held it back from finding a wider audience – that it is a predominantly British production and its’ R-rating. On the latter, the rating does feel a bit harsh as it reads more of a PG-13. Yes, there are a lot of F-bombs and conversations of a sexual nature, but beyond that there isn’t a lot of mature content.

This film definitely deserves more notice. I’ve always liked Nick Frost, but I have all new respect for him after watching Cuban Fury. He apparently approached the project very seriously, spending many months prior to production learning to salsa dance properly. As an actor, to both create and voluntarily put yourself out into such a precarious role that could easily invite ridicule is impressive. He plays the straight man leading role capably, leaving the comedy to the rest of the wildly-talented cast. It’s certainly not an Oscar-winning performance by any stretch, but that is not the point in a film like this. Cuban Fury does what it sets out to do from the beginning. It consistently delivers laughs from start to finish and provides a leading performance that is full of heart. Or more accurately, a performance that comes from El Corazón.

You can stream Cuban Fury on Tubi. Click here for the trailer.