Based on Oscar Hijuelos' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, this movie feels a little shallow. It's a fine enough showcase for some great music, but it descends into slow-motion melodramatics by act two and never recovers. Also, Armand Assante feels miscast. And not just because he clearly can't speak Spanish but because he just doesn't seem to get the over-the-top sexy character he's playing.
I read a bit of trivia about The Mambo Kings. Apparently, Antonio Banderas didn't speak any English when he made this movie and learned all of his lines phonetically. Apparently, also, Armand Assante didn't speak any Spanish when he made this movie and learned many of his lines phonetically, as well. This is a fine factoid and all, but, like, why not cast actual Cuban American actors? It was great to see Celia Cruz, obviously, and in such a large part, but this boasts a lot of missed opportunities.
No comments:
Post a Comment