El Cantante
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Movie Reviews of El Cantante
Movie Review: Not The Whole Story But A Good Story
Summary: 4 Stars
I love music industry biopics in general, and so I assumed I would enjoy this movie even though I knew absolutely nothing about Hector Lavoe or Salsa music. As it turns out, I had indeed guessed right. Knowledge of this particular artist or his musical genre is not essential in any way.
First, however, there are some legitimate criticisms of this film that can be made. Jennifer Lopez, who produced this film, gives her character's role in this movie way too much screentime. Hector's girlfriend, Puchi, is interesting and important, but she is not nearly as important as Hector himself. The viewer is short-changed when it comes to being educated about Hector Lavoe, who is El Cantante. He played a very significant role in the development and growing popularity of Salsa, but we are not told enough of his story. The script is far too vague about too many things.
But the movie has two very strong aspects that serve to outweigh its limitations. First, the music is fantastic. Every single one of the musical interludes presented in this film are vivid and colorful and soulful. This film will make you a fan of Salsa if you weren't already. Second, the acting is superb. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony provide the wounded, brutal intensity that their characters deserve. You will never forget them.
If you enjoy movies about the people who enter our lives because of the music that they make, then you will like El Cantante.
Movie Review: A Tour de Force for Jennifer Lopez
Summary: 4 Stars
EL CANTANTE missed in the theater run, perhaps because the public is growing weary of 'little person makes good, becomes a celebrity, and aborts a successful life in favor of drugs' stories. But now that the film is available for DVD viewing in the home, the public can appreciate the very fine qualities of this surprise work. And it may not be too late for an Oscar nod for Jennifer Lopez...
The film is based on the life of Hector Lavoe (Marc Anthony), the Puerto Rican King of Salsa who gained fame and stardom in the 1970s and 1980s as not only a talented singer but also as a charismatic 'man of the people'. His rise to fame is related in a tremendously effective black and white late in life interview with Hector's wife Puchi (a brilliant role for Jennifer Lopez!) offering in flashback sequences the rise and fall of the King of Salsa, a life cut short by both drug abuse and AIDS. Much of the film is devoted to musical sequences that bristle with the excitement of Salsa music and Anthony carries his role as Lavoe very well. The cast is uniformly excellent with some fine new faces. Write/director Leon Ichaso lets the drama slip a bit in favor of the music, but still the performance of Jennifer Lopez as the smart but sleazy, tacky and wise Puchi is dynamite. The film is far more solid than expected: the opportunity for Lopez to demonstrate her talent is well worth watching. Grady Harp, November 07
Movie Review: Lopez steals the show
Summary: 4 Stars
Since the public is still trying to get over the over-exposure of JLO a few years ago, an injustice has occurred: Lopez put in one stunning performance in this movie and failed to get the recognition it deserved. I didn't know anything about Hector Lavoe before this film and sadly I still don't know that much about him. I agree that as a biopic, the film fails to get the audience to connect with its main star. In fact, it seems to go out of its way to show how much of a selfish jerk (keeping it P.G.) he was. I think it has a lot to do with Anthony always wearing sunglasses in the film. You have to show the movie audience your eyes. That's how we bond with people. The sunglasses allowed Marc Anthony to hide from the audience-and therefore gave us a sense that Anthony's performance was false. Lopez needs to give up the singing and stick to acting. Also, I do agree with some of the other reviewers has said about the direction and editing. I don't think they should have approached this film like a faux documentary. It quickly grew old and confusing. Still this is a movie worth seeing.Movie Review: Good insight into Hector's world
Summary: 4 Stars
My wife and I watched the movie recently and we both enjoyed it very much. The film's excellent, period! Anyone curious to learn about this unique salsa singer should purchase the DVD. Though I must confess the biographical nature of it was sad for me to see. Of course it's unavoidable as he led such a tragic life. Hector must've had many wonderfully fun moments during his short life, but you couldn't really extract that from watching the film.
Having said that, I give high accolades to all involved in its production. Both Marc and Jennifer were excellent in their respective acting roles. I was particularly impressed with Jennifer and would agree with a commenter here that she should receive Oscar consideration.
Side notes: I wish the relationships between Hector and the other musicians like Willy Colon would've been explored even further. And that the director would've allowed the actor playing Ruben Blades to finish singing the song El Cantante on acoustic guitar - very cool.
Movie Review: I enjoyed this, but it could have been better....
Summary: 4 Stars
I love anything Latino. And having been to Puerto Rico (and am dating a boricua), I love anything that has to do with the culture. And I LOVE salsa!
I thought Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony did a really good job with this movie and I think Marc looked a LOT like the real Hector, having looked at Lavoe's picture hanging in my boyfriends apartment day after day... but where the movie fell short for me was, as some other reviewer pointed out, they did not delve deeply enough into the deaths of the main characters, nor did they allow us to bond with them and develop an emotional tie to them. However, I am buying this dvd because I love everything latino and it's fun to catch glimpses of places I was actually at when they shot on location in PR.
I also agree that it was not promoted properly. I don't think it ever made an appearance in the theatres where I live and we have a lot of latino's here too.