Movie Review: The Mambo Kings

PLOT:

Musician brothers Cesar and Nestor leave Cuba for America in the 1950s, hoping to hit the top of the Latin music scene. Cesar is the older brother, the business manager, and the ladies’ man. Nestor is the brooding songwriter, who cannot forget the woman in Cuba who broke his heart.

REVIEW:

What did I like?

In the name of the mambo, the rhumba, and the cha-cha-cha. In college, a friend called me an :”honorary Mexican” due to my love of all things Latin. I have a deep love and affection for the music, of which there is no shortage in this film. As great as the music is on its own, though, it should be noted that the filmmaker succeeds in portraying the 1950s aesthetic and the interest people had in the music back then.

Home of the nice splice. About halfway through the film, our leads meet Desi Arnaz (portrayed by his actual son, Desi Arnaz, Jr.), who invites them out to Hollywood to appear on I Love Lucy. Seeing Armand Assante, Antonio Banderas, and Arnaz, Jr. appear on the same screen as Lucille Ball was impressive, especially at the time this was made. What is remarkable though, and fans of the show will notice this, is the episode in which Assante and Banderas’ characters are appearing in an actual episode that features two Cuban musicians…same lines, movements, and everything. Wow…just wow!

Welcome to America. I cannot imagine what it was like to be an immigrant coming to America in the 50s. These guys had  a couple of family members living in New York but, other  than that, they came with just their music and dreams. Kudos to the filmmaker for not only making us feel that sense of awe, but also how much opportunity there was to be had in the US, at least back in those days. Watch Banderas’ portrayal of Nestor reading his Rockefeller book and you will see everything you need to see when it comes to the sense of awe these guys, as well as others coming to this country, felt.

What didn’t I like?

Mob tactics. At the beginning of the film, we are in Cuba and see Caesar, played by Armand Assante, defending his brother against a mobster who has obviously threatened the love of his life, Maria, if she isn’t with him. There is a struggle of some sort, which results in Assante getting injured with a knife and coming out to tell him to take Nestor out of Cuba. Not a bad setup, right? I am left to wonder, though, what it is that put Maria in the crosshairs of this gangster, besides being beautiful. I understand that Cuban people are very passionate, but to slit a man’s throat for defending his brother? This is based on a novel, so perhaps I need to read the book to get some more backstory.

Covet thy brother’s wife. It seems to be implied that Caesar has feelings for Nestor’s new wife, Dolores. From the moment they meet at the club and he dances with her, to all the gifts he gives her, and even in the final scene after Banderas’ death, there is a look they share that is quite uncomfortable. The theme of the film is Nestor’s love for Maria, so I don’t think there would have been a big blow up if Caesar “stole” Dolores from him. I would feel bad for Cathy Moriarty’s character, though. Still, these looks cannot be ignored as it is painfully clear that there is a mutual attraction between the two, yet the film just teases us with…well, nothing but some glances. Such a waste!

Maria. For a character that is so central to the plot, Maria is almost a figment of Nestor’s imagination. Had it not been for the opening scene, audiences would surely be wondering if he was ever with her. All that said, I have to mention the gorgeous song “Beautiful Maria of My Soul”. If you are not familiar with it, go look it up on Youtube. It was up for an Oscar the year this was released, but lost to a small ditty called “A Whole New World”. That is beside the point, though. My issue is this song is in this film more than a few times, and almost each time we listen to the entire 4 minutes of it. I’m a lover of good music as much as the next guy, and the song is integral to the plot, but isn’t this a bit of overkill?

Final verdict:

What did I think of The Mambo Kings? My first introduction to this film was when I heard the Boston Pops perform “Beautiful Maria…” on television when I was a freshman in high school. I seem to recall seeing an ad for the movie on pay-per-view (and trying to watch it through the scrambled picture) that same evening. I became reacquainted with the film in college, due to one of our marching band shows being the music from this picture. Notice how everything is about the music of this film? If you take the music out of this film, there isn’t much left. Sure there are good performances and that I Love Lucy scene is a nice touch, but it isn’t enough to make this film memorable and that is perhaps why when/if you mention this film outside of certain circles, no one has ever heard of it. If it is known for anything else, it is that it is one of the first English speaking roles (I won’t mention his fake trumpet playing…this time) for Antonio Banderas. Do I recommend it? Yes and no. The music and setting are worth a viewing, but the story leaves much to be desired.

3 3/4 out of 5 stars

 

Movie Review: Desperado

PLOT:

Director Robert Rodriguez picks up where his successful independent debut El Mariachi left off with this slam-bang South of the Border action saga. Bucho (Joaquim DeAlmeida) is a wealthy but casually bloodthirsty drug kingpin who rules a seedy Mexican border town. Bucho and his men make the mistake of angering El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), a former musician who now carries an arsenal in his guitar case. Bucho was responsible for the death of El Mariachi’s girlfriend and put a bullet through his fretting hand, making him unable to play the guitar. Bent on revenge, the musician-turned-killing machine arrives in town to put Bucho out of business, though he finds few allies except for Carolina (Salma Hayek), who runs a bookstore that doesn’t seem to attract many readers.

REVIEW:

What did I like?

En fuego. This was made in the early-mid 90s, a time when Antonio Banderas’ star was just starting to rise and we were introduced to a young, hot, curvaceous Latina actress by the name of Salma Hayek. The chemistry between these two is off the charts, so much so one has to wonder two things. First, is there something actually going on between them and second, why haven’t we had more pairings of these two. As far as I know the only other time they have been together is as voice actors for Puss in Boots. At any rate, watching the fire these two make together will surely get your pulse racing, and that’s long before they even get to the bedroom scene!!!

Shoot ’em up! Who doesn’t love a good shootout, right? As a fan of old westerns, I was all but raised on scenes like this, so of course this was a bright spot for me. What makes it really standout, however, is the creative use of weaponry. Sure there is the traditional pulling guns from the holsters, but have you ever seen a bazooka in a guitar case? How about a small arsenal hidden under a fake guitar in another guitar case? No, well, those are just a couple of the innovations you can find watching this flick. Now, don’t get me started on how bloody brilliant the violence throughout the picture is…emphasis on bloody!

Keep it simple, stupid. If you listen to these grumpy old directors that are coming out of the woodwork lately bashing superhero films, you’d think it was a deadly sin to make a film that is just fun. They seem to believe every film is supposed to make your brain go a million miles a minute. I hate to inform them that audiences just want an escape, especially in today’s world. This is what this film excels in. The plot is a very simplistic case of revenge. Nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes that’s all you need.

What didn’t I like?

Down time. There is something to be said in action flicks for scenes where things slow down. The calm before the storm, if you will. What doesn’t work in these situations, though, is when said scenes all but grind the picture to a halt. Now, this film doesn’t suffer from this as much as some other films, but it is a noticeable yellow light for the rapid pace it was on, mostly spurred on by the antagonist, which was odd.

Tell me a story. Earlier, I praised this film’s simplicity. I do not back down from that sentiment, but I do have a small issue with the lack of a story. Granted, this is a sequel to a film I’ve only seen one time and that was many years ago on late night TV as I was studying for a test in college. Much of the story that is lacking I feel was covered in the previous film. Still, there could have been a few more story beats in this grand tale of bloody revenge.

Just when I was starting to like the guy. Not to spoil anything, but if you start to like a character in this film, I suggest you not get attached, save for our protagonist. There is a very high body count that gets racked up in a short amount of time, including some rather big name actors that appear. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, other than it being a trope that many films tend to gravitate toward. That is luring the audience into a false sense of security with a character, mostly due to the actor playing them, and then kill them off. Personally, I don’t care for it.

Final verdict.

Desperado is an underrated gem. Why is this? Is it because Banderas, Hayek, as we all as director Robert Rodriguez have gone on to bigger things? Perhaps, but I think this is just a product of its time. Watching the film, you can’t really tell if it is set in the past or present day, save for the cell phones they use, which usually leads to film having staying power or a legacy. The mystery will continue, though. For me, I love this film! Nothing more exciting to me than just mindless violence as an escape from the weight of the world. As a bonus, Salma Hayek. Need I say more?!? Seriously, though, this is a film that is worth watching if you’re not into the heavy stuff. Give it a shot sometime!

5 out of 5 stars