Hector Lavoe is a music legend, and this biographical movie starring Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez is full of the sights and sounds that signify salsa!
From Puerto Rico to New York City, El Cantante traces the life of Hector Perez, who soon became known as Hector Lavoe, “the voice” of Latin music. El Cantante opens with the filming of a documentary about Lavoe.
The audience is introduced to Puchi (Jennifer Lopez) Hector’s wife, as she tells the story of her husband’s incredible career.
Shot in black and white in a dimly lit studio, the present-day “interview” scenes are in dramatic contrast to the colors and sounds revealed in Puchi’s reminiscences.
Hector is presented as an almost child-like individual whose immense talent allowed him to walk into the spotlight without difficulty. Even Puchi says that everything came to Hector with ease. Marc Anthony captures the spirit of Hector Lavoe in his passionate performances of the music, giving himself completely to the songs and the audience.
Anthony’s interpretation of Lavoe’s complex life off stage is equally inspired; the viewer can see how easily a creative person can make a misstep. Hector learns that talent is no protection against the lures of drugs, alcohol and illicit sex. Lavoe was married to the fiery Puchi, but he loved pleasure.
The feature film is presented in a format to fit television screens, and with Dolby Digital sound. The running time for the feature is approximately 116 minutes. There are both English and Spanish subtitles available for the film.
Special features on this disc are a nice addition to the film itself. There is a featurette titled “The Sound and The Heat of El Cantante” which provides fascinating background material on the music and style of Hector Lavoe, and the influences on the actors, producers and directors of the film.
Interviews with Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez reveal the depth of their commitment to this project, and the enormous amount of work they put into their performances. Many people who worked on the film speak of the authenticity of their portrayals of Hector and Puchi.
In addition there are film commentaries by Director Leon Ichaso and Writers Todd Anthony Bello and David Darmstaedter, which add even more facets to the story of making El Cantante. There is a dvd/online link included for even more features.
The film is rated R, and in spite of enthralling music, and colorful characters it is not for the kiddies.
El Cantante is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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