Based on the 1980s TV series by Anthony Yerkovich, Miami Vice is the story of two Miami police detectives who go undercover to deal with a drug dealer and drug trafficking that is happening in and out of Miami. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Mann, the film is a suspense-action thriller that follows two detectives who embark on a case that becomes highly dangerous as they also go into different paths to stop this drug dealer. Starring Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Justin Theroux, Gong Li, Naomie Harris, Ciaran Hinds, Barry Shabaka Henley, Luis Tosar, John Hawkes, Eddie Marsan, and John Ortiz. Miami Vice is an evocative and gripping film from Michael Mann.
The film is about two detectives from Miami who help the FBI by going undercover as drug runners to meet with a drug lord over drug trafficking in and out of Miami as it explores a dark culture of drugs and crime. It’s a film with a simple premise yet Michael Mann doesn’t go for anything simple in terms of the execution in his screenplay as it explore the life of these two detective in James “Sonny” Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) as they both seen at the film’s opening sequence trying to nab a pimp until they get a call from one of their informants over an attempted bust gone bad. After meeting with FBI agent John Fujima (Ciaran Hinds), Crockett and Tubbs agree to help him nab drug cartel security official Jose Yero (John Ortiz) who is trying to continue his drug trafficking ring from Colombia and into the U.S for his boss Arcangel de Jesus Montoya (Luis Tosar).
Mann’s script play into the life that Crockett and Tubbs have as they often do jobs with other cops led by their superior Lt. Martin Castillo (Barry Shabaka Henley) while Tubbs is in a relationship with one of fellow detectives in Trudy Joplin (Naomie Harris). During their undercover work, Crockett meets Montoya’s financial adviser/lover Isabella (Gong Li) whom he would fall for as they begin an affair that eventually leads to trouble. Especially as they learn about what Montoya and Yero are doing and who they’re working with to get the drugs into the U.S. as it complicates matter including putting Crockett and Tubbs’ fellow detectives in danger.
Mann’s direction definitely has some elements of style yet also has this low-key approach into the presentation as it opens at a nightclub where Crockett, Tubbs, Joplin, and other detectives are set to bust a pimp as it goes straight into the action and not waste time. Shot on various locations including Miami as well as other locations in Uruguay, Paraguay, parts of South Florida, and on various Caribbean islands, Mann creates a world where drug trafficking feels like the norm with these gorgeous wide shots of the sea and Miami skylines at night along with shots of the jungles and other places the character go to. Mann’s usage of aerial shots and scenes set on the sea on speed boats and planes also help establish this world while he also makes Miami as a character in the film but not as this vibrant locale that is filled with parties and excitement. Instead, he aims for something far darker and grittier as much of the scenes in Miami are shot at night with few scenes shot in the day as Mann prefers to showcase few of the cities famous sites in favor of just using it as a backdrop and go into parts of the city that not many are aware of.
Mann’s usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the interaction with the characters but also in the suspense that include a showdown between a group of rednecks and the Miami PD where Detective Gina Calabrese (Elizabeth Rodriguez) is shown in a close-up with fierce intensity as she knows whether the person who wants to kill everyone really can do it but she knows he’s bluffing as she is intent on putting a bullet in his head. Mann also knows when to break from the action as it play into the persona lives of Crockett and Tubbs with the former engaging into this affair with Isabella that would eventually cause trouble. The climatic showdown between the Miami PD and Yero’s men is bloody as there is this great build up to the suspense in the medium shots and close-ups to capture all of the action and violence that is thrilling and dangerous. Especially in what is at stake while the ending is filled with ambiguity into the fates of a few characters but also the reality of the drug culture and what some do to survive. Overall, Mann crafts an intoxicating yet visceral film about the life and work of two Miami police detectives going undercover to stop a drug lord’s empire.
Cinematographer Dion Beebe does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is shot largely on digital video to capture some of the grimy look of the city as well as some of the vibrancy in the hand-held shots as well as not aim for anything overtly stylized in favor of something low-key and realistic. Editors William Goldenberg and Paul Rubell do excellent work with the film’s editing as it has some stylish usage of jump-cuts as it also play into some unconventional rhythms in the cutting to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Victor Kempster, with set decorator Jim Erickson plus art directors Carlos Menendez and Seth Reed, does brilliant work with the look of the some of the homes of the Miami PD’s informers as well as the lavish home of Montoya and the casino that Yero runs. Costume designers Michael Kaplan and Janty Yates do fantastic work with some of the stylish clothes that Crockett and Tubbs wear when they go undercover as well as the posh designer clothes that Isabella wears.
Special effects makeup artists Jake Garber and Harrison Lorenzana do superb work with the look of a few characters during some of the film’s violent moments as well as the look of the Aryan gang that work with Yero. Special effects supervisor Rick Thompson and visual effects supervisor Robert Staad do terrific work with visual/special effects as it help play into the action along with some bits of set-dressing in some of the visual effects. Sound designers Elliott Koretz and Tak Ogawa do amazing work with the sound in capturing the sounds of gunfire, boat engines, and the atmosphere of the locations as it help play into the suspense and intrigue that is rampant throughout the film. The film’s music by John Murphy is wonderful for its somber and ambient-based score with some pulsating electronic-based themes that help add to the suspense while music supervisor Vicki Hiatt provides a nice music soundtrack that feature a mixture of ambient, hip-hop, rock, soul, Latin music, and electronic music from Goldfrapp, Audioslave, India.Arie, Mogwai, Nina Simone, Moby with Patti LaBelle, King Britt, Linkin Park w/ Jay-Z, and Emilio Estefan as well as an awful cover of Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight by Nonpoint.
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and performances from Isaach de Bankole as a pimp Crockett and Tubbs try to nab early in the film, Eddie Marsan as an informant who gives the Miami PD some information, Tom Towles as an American dealer in Nicholas who is aligned with a group of Aryan drug dealers, Domenick Lombardozzi and Justin Theroux in their respective roles as Miami detectives in Stan Switek and Larry Zito who help Crockett and Tubbs with their work, Elizabeth Rodriguez as Detective Gina Calabrese who is a no-nonsense woman that is also dangerous but reliable, John Hawkes as an informant in Alonzo Stevens who calls Crockett and Tubbs early in the film as he makes a chilling discovery that puts him in trouble, and Luis Tosar in a terrific performance as the drug lord Arcangel de Jesus Montoya who runs an empire and wants to control all of Miami. Ciaran Hinds is superb as FBI agent John Fujima as a man who had accidentally ruined Crockett and Tubbs’ case early in the film as he decides to help them to try and stop Montoya despite his dislike towards them.
Barry Shabaka Henley is fantastic as Lt. Martin Castillo as Crockett and Tubbs’ superior who is the mediator between them and Fujima as well as being someone who is aware of what is going on as well as be a father figure of sorts for the team. John Ortiz is excellent as Montoya’s security agent Jose Yero as a man that at first is believed to run an empire yet is someone who watches over Montoya’s drugs and shipments while is also someone extremely dangerous as he grows suspicious towards Crockett and Tubbs. Naomie Harris is brilliant as Detective Trudy Joplin as a detective who also gathers intelligence and information for others while is also Tubbs’ lover as she grounds him while she deals with her own troubles as a detective. Gong Li is amazing as Isabella as Montoya’s financial adviser/lover who works with Crockett and Tubbs only to engage into an affair with the former that eventually becomes troublesome as she copes with falling for Crockett but also handling business for Montoya and Yero.
Finally, there’s the duo of Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in incredible performances in their respective roles as James “Sonny” Crockett and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. Both Farrell and Foxx bring a grounded and reserved approach to their characters with Farrell being a bit more dangerous once Crockett has an affair with Isabella making Tubbs uneasy. Foxx is more no-nonsense but is also someone who can do negotiations the right way and win over dealers through his charm and wit. Farrell and Foxx also provide that air of toughness to their characters when it comes to doing their jobs as they both provide the grittiness that the characters needed for the film.
Miami Vice is an incredible film from Michael Mann that features top-notch leading performances from Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, Dion Bebe’s gorgeous photography, emphasis on realism, and John Murphy’s intoxicating score. The film is definitely a low-key yet more reserved approach to the suspense-drama and detective film while not aiming to be a direct remake/homage to the TV series with Mann wanting to do something entirely different yet engaging. In the end, Miami Vice is a remarkable film from Michael Mann.
Michael Mann Films: The Jericho Mile – Thief (1981 film) - The Keep – Manhunter - L.A. Takedown – The Last of the Mohicans - Heat – The Insider – Ali - Collateral - Public Enemies - Blackhat - Blackhat - Ferrari - (Heat 2) - The Auteurs #74: Michael Mann Pt.1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2020
Directed by James Gray and written by Gray and Ethan Gross, Ad Astra is the story of an astronaut who travels to space to find his long-lost father who is believed to be found but conducting dangerous experiments that would threaten the universe. The film is a space adventure drama that follows a man whose devotion to his work forces him to deal with his father’s absence as he embarks on a journey to find his father and figure what he’s doing. Starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, and Donald Sutherland. Ad Astra is an astonishing yet riveting film from James Gray.
A series of power surges is threatening the universe as an astronaut is tasked to travel to space all the way to Neptune where the surge is coming from as it is believed that the astronaut’s father is conducting strange experiments on a space station near Neptune. That is the film’s premise as it more plays into this father-son relationship where the son is dealing with trying to live under the shadow of his father’s legacy despite being his own man yet bears some issues as it relates to his father abandoning him and his mother many years ago. The film’s screenplay by James Gray and Ethan Gross is told mainly through astronaut in Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) who is a man devoted to his work yet it would cost him his marriage to Eve (Liv Tyler). During a routine repair job at a large space antenna, a power surge emerges and does damage to the antenna with McBride being able to survive as he’s asked by military personnel to go to Neptune where it is believed his father Dr. H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) is alive having been presumed lost during a mission known as the Lima project.
The Lima project that was led by Dr. McBride was meant to see if there’s any form of intelligence life outside of the solar system but something happened and Dr. McBride and his crew hadn’t been heard since until these power surges have emerged prompting Roy to take the mission. Much of the first act involves Roy learning about his father while taking on numerous psychological evaluations to see if he’s capable of carrying on this classified mission where he’s joined by his father’s old friend in Colonel Pruitt (Donald Sutherland) to the moon where they would get a ride to Mars yet they would encounter some trouble involving space pirates with Roy going on the trip via another crew as things become more troubling due to the surge. Arriving on Mars where he meets facility director Helen Lantos (Ruth Negga) who reveals that she met Dr. McBride as a child as her parents were part of his crew and they never returned as well. Yet, Roy becomes more troubled by more psychological evaluations by people on Mars prompting him to sneak on board a rocket to confront his father by himself.
Gray’s direction is definitely ambitious not just in scope and scale but also in its themes of existence and of the universe itself. Set in the near future and shot on location in Santa Clarita, California and on studio soundstages, Gray maintains some intimacy for scenes on Earth that include flashbacks of McBride’s life with Eve but also the disconnect they have as it relates to McBride’s devotion to his work. Through the usage of close-ups and medium shots, Gray does play into the emotional disconnect that McBride carries yet the mission he has to embark on forces him to become emotional where it would take a psychological toll on him eventually once he goes into space. The scenes set in outer space are quite vast with the usage of wide shots that captures the scale of McBride’s journey towards Mars and then Neptune. Notably as the world that Gray creates from the colony on the moon that looks a bit like a mall in its interiors while the underground facility on Mars is far more mysterious including the scene of McBride trying to sneak onto the rocket to Neptune.
Gray’s direction also has this air of mystery during its second act as it relates to the psychological interviews that McBride is doing as well as his attempts to contact his father. It’s a moment in the film that showcases McBride’s own revelations into his mission and what some are not telling him as there are only a few he can really trust. The film’s third act has Gray delve more into elements of surrealism but also isolation into the journey as McBride is forced to deal with himself as the film does bear a lot of visual and thematic elements that relate to other films yet Gray goes for something more emotional. The meeting between McBride and his father is emotional as it does play into their own disconnect with other people but also the fallacies of their own exploration although Dr. McBride does manage to find things that would be important to the universe. In the end, Gray crafts an intoxicating yet haunting film about an astronaut traveling through space to find his long-lost father.
Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does incredible work with the film’s cinematographer as it is a massive highlight of the film with its usage of low-key filters for some of the interiors and colorful lighting including some scenes on Mars and in some of the spaceships as well as emphasizing on a natural look for some of the exteriors and interiors on Earth as the photography also include additional work from Caleb Deschanel. Editors John Axelrad and Lee Haugen do brilliant work with the editing as it help play into some of the dramatic suspense while being straightforward in some parts while creating some stylish montages in scenes that play into the flashbacks and what McBride is dealing with in his journey. Production designer Kevin Thompson, with set decorator Karen O’Hara and supervising art director Christa Munro, does amazing work with the look of some of the spaceship interiors as well as some of the exteriors of the places and facilities on the moon and on Mars. Costume designer Albert Wolsky does terrific work with the costumes from the military uniforms some of the characters wear on Earth to the spacesuits that astronauts wear.
Hair/makeup designer Nana Fischer does nice work with the look of Dr. McBride when he’s unveiled for the film’s climax along with the beard that McBride grows during his journey. Visual effects supervisor Allen Maris does fantastic work with the visual effects as it play into elements of realism but also in the way some of the scenes in space are presented along with some chilling scenes inside a space station involving baboons. Sound designers Douglas Murray and Gary Rydstrom do superb work with the sound as it play into the sounds of spaceships heard from the insides as well as the sounds of rockets and other gadgets including the low-key sound of the power surges. The film’s music by Max Richter is phenomenal for its ambient-based score that has elements of orchestral bombast and serene synthesizers while music supervisors George Drakoulias and Randall Poster provide additional music from Lorne Balfe and Steffen Thum that add to the serene yet mysterious tone of the film.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Sean Blakemore as McBride’s head escort at the moon, Donnie Kershawarz as a ship leader for McBride’s trip to Mars, Loren Dean as the Mars’ ship second-in-command, Kimberly Elise and Bobby Nish as a couple of astronauts for the Mars ship, LisaGay Hamilton and John Finn as a couple of military officials briefing McBride about the situation, Natasha Lyonne as a customs officer on Mars, and John Ortiz as General Rivas who briefs McBride about his father and the Lima project. Liv Tyler is terrific in her small role as McBride’s ex-wife Eve as someone who feels pushed away from her husband while she would get contact from him about his mission as she deals with his emotional troubles. Donald Sutherland is superb as Colonel Pruitt as an old friend of Dr. McBride who accompanies McBride to the moon as he admits to having issues with his father while wanting to help McBride reach his destination.
Ruth Negga is excellent as Helen Lantos as facility director at a base on Mars who reveals some things to McBride about his father as well as what happened to her parents as she would help McBride to board the ship to Neptune knowing that there are many who are trying to stop him from being involved. Tommy Lee Jones is incredible as Dr. H. Clifford McBride as a revered astronaut who led the Lima project that was meant to be something big only for things to go wrong where Jones brings a mysterious quality to his character as someone who is believed to have gone insane. Finally, there’s Brad Pitt in a sensational performance as Major Roy McBride as an astronaut who is tasked to find his long-lost father as he deals with the severity of the mission as it’s a performance where Pitt is restrained for much of the film as he doesn’t do anything to emote until later on as he plays into the flaws of his character as it is one of Pitt’s finest performances.
Ad Astra is a tremendous film from James Gray that feature great performances from Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones. Along with its ensemble cast, stunning visuals, immense production design, evocative music score, and themes of exploration and isolation. It’s a film that play into a man’s journey to find his long-lost father while coping with his own faults and the sins of his father that he would have to carry. In the end, Ad Astra is a spectacular film from James Gray.
James Gray Films: Little Odessa - The Yards - We Own the Night - Two Lovers - The Immigrant (2013 film) - The Lost City of Z - The Auteurs #67: James Gray
© thevoid99 2019
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/7/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Directed by Leon Ichaso and written by Ichaso, David Darmstaeder, and Todd Anthony Bello, El Cantante is the story about legendary salsa singer Hector Lavoe who was considered one of the forefathers of the salsa music scene as the film chronicles his rise in the 1960s and 1970s to his fall in the 1980s and his death in 1993. The film is a dramatization about Lavoe's life as well as his turbulent relationship with his wife Puchi who is played by Jennifer Lopez with Latin pop singer Marc Anthony as Lavoe. Also starring Federico Castelluccio, John Ortiz, and Glenda Dopazo. El Cantante for all of its energy is a messy and very unoriginal film from Leon Ichaso.
It's 2002 as Puchi is walking for an interview to tell the life of her late husband Hector Lavoe. Born Hector Juan Perez Martinez in Puerto Rico, Hector had lost his mother early in his life and his brother a few years before in the 1960s as he set to leave his beloved home for New York City. Arriving into the city, he meets Eddie (Manny Perez) who both sneak in to get into a club where he caught a glimpse of Puchi while ended up singing for a bit at the club. A few months later, he becomes the singer for the club band as he grabs the attention of Willie Colon (John Ortiz) and a label head named Jerry Masucci (Federico Castelluccio). Masucci hopes to form a label that would be the Latin equivalent to Motown while bringing a new sound to the people. With Willie Colon's talents for writing and being a bandleader, Hector changes his last name to Lavoe and by 1965, a revolution began.
Despite his emerging success, Hector continues to battle his own insecurities as he eventually falls for Puchi despite her street-wise personality that often causes conflict with his sister (Glenda Dopazo). Despite their tumultuous relationship, they would eventually marry in the late 60s and gained a son named Tito. For all of the success that Hector gains both personally and professionally, Hector's demons lead him to an addiction to heroin that was introduced to him by both Eddie and Willie. By the 70s, Hector continues to be successful with Willie Colon as salsa starts to break through with the duo and their band the Fania All Stars. Their success would also lead them to sell out venues including Madison Square Garden in NYC.
It was also in this time that Hector's addiction starts to take its toll as his marriage to Puchi becomes troublesome while her presence in the studios and shows would often be more troubling. Finally in 1973, Willie Colon decides to quit touring as he found Hector's lateness to gigs to be a hassle. With Hector going solo in the late 70s, he continues to have success but his addition would also give him trouble as eventually, Puchi starts to have affairs. Finally, he couldn't take his addiction where in 1979, Puchi took him to a spiritual doctor hoping to cleanse him where for a while. He seemed fine as he continues to tour and be with his family including son Tito (Christopher Becerra at 14 & Bernard Hernandez at 17/18) but his relationship with Puchi remains troubled. Finally, a relapse ensued during the mid and late 80s as it would take tragedy, estrangement, and the AIDS virus to wake him up. Yet, demons managed to lurk on as Hector tries to find some amount of redemption.
A film version of the life of a musician has a formula that is often followed. The artist comes from a humble or poor background, moves to the big city, struggles a bit, becomes big, finds love, and then everything falls apart through drugs, declining sales, and such. This is the formula the film and director Leon Ichaso seems to rely on. Not that it's a bad formula but the problem is that there's so much in the story from the script that really doesn't emphasize on. While it's understandable that Lavoe had issues with depression and drug abuse due to family deaths early on and some insecurities yet the screenwriters didn't go deep enough into that. At the same time, the story about Lavoe's relationship with Puchi really takes it toll where they love each other, they hate each other, they love each other, and so on. It becomes a pattern that doesn't go anywhere. There's not even a moment when they're just being normal, not fighting, or doing any kind of bad things. It's often dramatized to the point that the script offers nothing for the audience to not only be engaged by them but reasons to sympathize with them as they're always unlikeable from start to finish.
Then there's the direction that is really uneven. Leon Ichaso has some excellent sequence that involves the performances of Hector Lavoe and his personality where publicly, he's funny, he charismatic, he's a womanizer of sorts, and all of these things. That part should've been kept yet when it delves into reality. It doesn't work. Now, in the hands of a more experienced director, the sequences with drugs wouldn't become a cliche as it would handle with some subtlety. Unfortunately, Ichaso emphasizes on style rather than substance where it takes a scene from Taylor Hackford's 2004 bio-pic Ray about Ray Charles in that similar motif of grainy photography and fast-cuts to show the world of addiction. It becomes total cliche and after a few of those scenes, it's very heavy-handed to the point that the audience becomes already aware of what is going on.
Another sequence that really fails and definitely takes a lot away from the film is the black-and-white interview sequence with Puchi. While the film is told from her perspective, it's a narrative device that doesn't work at all. It seems like she's trying to tell his story and her importance to his life. Yet, she starts rambling on and on about how great and how flawed he is. Why she is important to him. It doesn't go anywhere and it's an entire sequence that should've been cut from the entire film. Ichaso's emphasis on style to tell the story of Lavoe really fails. Even through the time sequences where it moves from 1960 through 1980 and at times, the audience doesn't know what year it is or when all of this is happening. That lack of awareness makes that part of the film totally inconsistent and confusing to the audience. The result is a messy, uneven film that dropped the ball during the second act.
The cinematography of Claudio Chea is very stylized with bits of grainy film footage mixed in with heavy colors that are a bit fuzzy. Yet, it doesn't work since the emphasis on style gets overdone while shots of Puerto Rico are at times, too tinted for the look while in NYC, everything looks a bit dark. Ichaso or Chea were trying to make the film look gritty but it just ends up bringing some uninspired work. The editing of David Tedeschi and Raul Marchand suffers through Ichaso's direction and some sequences would have very fast cuts that really become dizzying while there's no sense of life or emotion through those cuts. It's awful throughout despite the rhythm of the live performances of Lavoe. Production designer Sharon Lomofsky does a nice job with the film's look that is Puerto Rican in some of the film's first half but by the time it reaches the second act where Lavoe is rich, it becomes uninspiring while it's unclear if all of couches, furniture, and all of that are from the 80s or now.
Costume designer Sandra Hernandez does some nice work with the film's costumes that play well to a certain period though at times, it ends up looking silly to see J-Lo in one of her clothes while her hairstyle would emphasize what period she's in as an attempt to make each hairdo a sign of her aging. It doesn't work since she looks the same throughout. The music by Andres Levin with contribution by Willie Colon does play very well to the Latin rhythms with music from the 70s and 80s playing at times to show what period they’re in. The soundtrack that features many of Colon's work with Lavoe as well as Lavoe's solo work is a definite highlight. With Marc Anthony performing those songs, it works to show the kind of humor and tragedy of what Lavoe is singing as it's the only part of the film that hits the mark right in its head in terms of authenticity.
The casting is interesting with a lot of actors playing parts yet there's so many, it's hard to find a standout. Christopher Becerra and Bernard Hernandez are good as the different versions of Tito, the son who is trying to win his father's love despite the interference of his mother. Manny Perez is good as Lavoe's friend Eddie with Glenda Dopazo as Lavoe's sister who doesn't like Puchi. John Ortiz is pretty good as Willie Colon, the man who would be Hector's wingman as he would try to help him get straight and such. Federico Castelluccio is great as label boss Jerry Masucci who also tries to help Hector while enabling his success. Marc Anthony delivers a fantastic performance as Hector Lavoe with his charm and charisma when he's performing. Anthony manages to sell Lavoe's insecurity when he's off the stage but when it comes to the drug scenes, it doesn't totally work. Yet, it's really more of the direction of Ichaso rather than Anthony's performance where it's at fault. Anthony deserves more credit for his performance where he can be very dramatic without overacting while being funny as well. Even in a scene where he's dressed up as Santa Claus or in Charlie Chaplin make-up, there's a real actor in there who proves to be very watchable.
Finally, there's Jennifer Lopez in what has to be one of the most irritating performances ever. Her presence in the film is overwhelming as if she's trying to out-act everyone in the film. While there's a scene that gives her an excuse to shake her booty (that is overrated), several scenes cursing, and having to be in control. It's as if she's trying to be the star of the film when really, her character has to be a supporting role rather than the top lead. The documentary scenes end up being very vain as if she is trying to be the most important character of the film. Her portrayal of Puchi is very poor as if she's either playing a supportive wife or his enabler. Her scenes with Anthony don't really work as her acting is overdone and she tries to dominate any scene he's in and they really don't have chemistry as actors. If there's a real negative thing about this film, it's J-Lo.
Despite its lively soundtrack and some fantastic moments involving the music, El Cantante is a horrible film from Leon Ichaso. Filled with too many cliches, an uneven and tired narrative, formulaic storylines, and extremely unlikable characters. It's a film that is really more an insult rather than a tribute to the life and career of Hector Lavoe who deserves better. In the end, El Cantante is a terrible and overblown film from Leon Ichaso.
© thevoid99 2015
