Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that even though J Lo is popular with younger teens, this isn't a movie for that age group. The characters abuse alcohol, engage in excessive drug use, curse frequently, and generally display self-degrading, suicidal behavior. Many scenes depict explicit drug use and sexual activity, mostly motivated by the mind-altering substances. Though the audience soon understands that there's little hope for Hector Lavoe and his family, the characters themselves seem unable to change their conduct, even at the risk of their own lives and the lives of loved ones. It's a non-stop downward spiral without a happy ending.
Families can talk about the many celebrities who have struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. Why did Lavoe, who was talented and had achieved fame and had a loving family and friends behave in such a disastrous way? What traits might help someone famous stay grounded and be able to cope with stardom? Would those traits be helpful for the average person as well? How did the music, and particularly the lyrics, add to your understanding of the characters?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Renee Schonfeld
EL CANTANTE brings the magic of salsa music to the screen; unfortunately, it also brings the audience another bleak story of a flameout singer bent on self-destruction.
Hector Lavoe (Marc Anthony) was the most exciting voice in the volcanic eruption of the new Latin American music. The late 1960s and early 1970s found Lavoe and his contemporaries combining the pulsing rock rhythms of the streets of Puerto Rico and New York City with more traditional Latin sounds. The high-energy dance moves it inspired caught on, and soon the hot, spicy "salsa" was a phenomenon.
As often shown in biographical dramas, the artist falls in love, has a family, realizes enormous success, and is then seduced by money, adulation, and the drug culture. And so it goes: Hector's wife, Puchi (Jennifer Lopez, Anthony's real-life wife) pleads with him (while actively doing drugs herself); Hector doesn't listen. One calamity follows another, until the flame dies and hearts are broken.
Director Leon Ichaso, faced with the difficult task of taking a story that's been told again and again, tries to make the material special. He partially succeeds. The colorful music and dancing are wonderful; the movie transitions through past and present, from Puerto Rico to New York, with grace and coherence. What's missing is motivation and an understanding of what made these charismatic and talented people self-destruct.
Hector was such a sweet young man; Puchi seemed innocent in spite of a young sophistication. Both Anthony and Lopez fully commit to their roles. He's terrific, and this is the most authentic that Lopez has ever been. As the framing structure for the movie, Ichaso uses an interview with Puchi conducted long after her husband's death. But it simply isn't enough to help the audience understand Lavoe's self-imposed downfall.
Other enjoyable musical bio-pics about popular singers are Walk the Line (Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash) and Ray (Jamie Foxx's Oscar-winning portrait of Ray Charles. Lovers of Latin music might appreciate The Mambo Kings and For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentAdulterous behavior, sexual foreplay, and off-camera intercourse; seductive dancing; two adults in a provocative bathtub scene; no actual nudity. |
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ViolenceIntense domestic verbal fighting with threat of violence; firearm used for purpose of intimidation. |
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LanguageContinuous use of cursing; "f---k" in all forms is used in almost every scene. |
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Social BehaviorLeading characters exhibit self-destructive behavior and are hurtful to others; women are treated as sexual objects and abused verbally; drug use shown to destroy relationships, careers, and family. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoBoth leading characters are drug addicts and are pictured high and/or incapacitated throughout; drugs are clearly ingested and injected in numerous scenes, and use is implied in others; frequent alcohol consumption leads to anti-social and cruel behavior. |
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