We continue our series of reviews chronicling all of the (non-Studio Ghibli) animated films distributed by GKIDS Films — some of the most original and breathtakingly beautiful animated films from around the world — and how they hold up for a young American audience.

The entire retrospective is found here, and this time we’ve got…

Chico & Rita (2010): Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, & Tono Errando, directors

What’s it about?

Cuba, 1948. Chico is a hot young piano player. Rita is a jazz singer with a voice that’ll make you sweat. Inevitably, they meet, fall in love, break each other’s hearts, and swim the currents of Cuban jazz and bebop from Havana to New York to Paris to Las Vegas and back again.

The film is ostensibly about the love and passion Chico and Rita have for each other, but it’s really about their shared love of and passion for music in general. And the film itself is a love letter to jazz, as cliche as that might be. Chico and Rita are adrift in a world of jazz, and their roads intersect with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Tito Puente, and Chano Pozo – all of whose music is featured in the film.

The film touches on some contemporaneous social issues – such as racial segregation, the Cuban Revolution, race relations in the United States during the 50s and 60s, and poverty – but it really just nips at the edges of those larger issues. The film is a brisk 94 minutes and doesn’t spend a whole lot of time in one place.

What are the cultures at play? And how about the languages?

Chico & Rita is a Spanish film set primarily in Cuba. There are some English- and French-speaking characters, but all the main characters – including protagonists Chico and Rita – speak in Spanish, thereby creating sometimes odd dual-language conversations. Culturally, not much should be foreign to most audiences. Music is universal. Even though we see some scenes that indicate the Cuban Revolution is happening, and we hear a few background references to Castro, they’re not integral to the plot.

Will my kids like it? Is there anything objectionable for young kids?

Chico & Rita is, as they say, recommended for mature audiences. This is a love story, and the film depicts what naturally happens between two people in love. If you need me to spell it out for you, there’s a sex scene and extended sequences of Rita topless. It’s not particularly graphic, but you should probably be aware that the film includes full frontal nudity. Y’know, in case you want to shield the little ones’ eyes from the horror of the human body. Aside from that (oh, and a scene of someone getting shot), the film is mostly suitable for older kids.

Will I like it?

Chico & Rita was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2012 (the first full-length Spanish film to do so). I’m not saying you should automatically like it because of that, but I will say that the nomination was deserved. (Interestingly, another GKIDS film, A Cat in Paris, was also nominated that year, though both lost to Gore Verbinski’s completely forgotten Rango.)

If you’re a jazz fan, then this is a no-brainer. The film is positively dripping in phenomenal music, from the Monk, Parker, Gillespie classics to the original soundtrack composed by Bebo Valdés. It’s a jazz-infused thrill.

How can I see it?

The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and GKIDS released a Blu-ray edition of the film with a few special features. Included is a feature-length audio commentary (with directors Trueba and Mariscal), a making-of featurette, the trailer, an excerpt from the graphic novel, and the full-length Latin Grammy-winning soundtrack (on its own CD). This 3-disc collector’s edition looks like it might be out of print now, but there’s also a DVD version and – as noted – it’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Final word?

Though the animation might seem “rough around the edges” for audiences accustomed to the finely tuned CG of Pixar and DreamWorks, the story and music more than make up for it. Jazz fans will rejoice at this film. Animation fans will appreciate the happy marriage of a unique style with a distinctive sound. And everyone else? You’ll walk away with a smile in your soul.