BuzzSugar

El Cantante: Not Entirely Horrible

Molly — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:39:26 -0700

I walked out of El Cantante having learned a little bit about the life of Hector Lavoe and a little bit about the birth of Salsa music, but not enough about either. To be honest, I was expecting a lot worse and the movie really wasn't completely atrocious. It just wasn't any good. How's that for a rave review?

As one of the few sorry people who actually suffered through Gigli I will say that El Cantante is not nearly as bad as that 2003 monstrosity. That being said, neither Jennifer Lopez or Marc Anthony has the acting ability to carry a movie, especially one that sets out to tell such an intense story. In the end, J Lo's Newyorican Productions' first film is a lengthy music video-like tribute to the biopic, which runs the gamut of cliches but ultimately sheds little new light on the genre. To read the rest of my review just read more

The film is narrated by Jennifer Lopez, who plays Puchi Lavoe, Salsa sensation Hector Lavoe's (Marc Anthony) wife. This should have been an immediate red flag that this movie would be less about Hector's career and more about his relationship with Puchi. The story reads like literally every "Behind The Music" - a quick rise to fame, the drug-induced downfall, a moment of redemption followed by even more downward spiraling. Only El Cantante doesn't have endless interviews with the story's crucial players that help to create a full picture and make the VH1 series so watchable. It only has Puchi.

J Lo's Puchi is supposed to be hard headed and strong, but often came off as shrieky and annoying. At the most emotional moment of the movie, she delivers her ultra dramatic "you can never, ever leave me" speech, but instead of hanging on her every word I just couldn't wait until it was over. Not a very good sign.

As an actor, Marc Anthony was the highlight for me, probably because his character wasn't too far from himself. The movie involved more singing than I expected, which is certainly his strong suit. Marc isn't a drug addict, but he does light up on stage and know what it is like to be a superstar. J Lo, on the other hand, doesn't know what it's really like to play second fiddle to her husband's fame, and it showed.

As I mentioned earlier, one of my biggest qualms with the movie was that it didn't teach me enough about Hector himself and the rise of Salsa music in America. Most of what the movie teaches you about Hector Lavoe you can gather from the preview. In fact, as soon as I got home from the screening, I looked him up on Wikipedia hoping that it would help me put the pieces of his life in logical order.

Perhaps this is what they were going for - to make the movie as chaotic, fragmented and confusing as Hector and Puchi Lavoe's lives were - but even that message didn't come through clear enough. It's unfortunate, because I do think that within El Cantante is a story worth telling, but this movie just didn't do it justice.

Photos courtesy of Picturehouse

What Do You Think About Jennifer Lopez?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 05:05:19 -0700

El Cantante is purportedly about Latin singer Hector Lavoe (Marc Anthony), but by the looks of this trailer, it's Jennifer Lopez doing all the talking, sassing, and dancing. She pretty much only lets Marc Anthony do a little singing.

Maybe that's the point - maybe "El Cantante" was all about his woman. But it kinda seems that JLo wanted to dominate this film, so she did. And frankly, I'm not sure she'll be able to carry this on her own, try as she might... and she tries mightily.

Check out the trailer and tell me: What do you think about JLo?

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Jennifer Lopez: Better in Spanish?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:09 -0700

There was a brief moment when I loved Jennifer Lopez, and that was after seeing her act opposite George Clooney in the stunning and sexy Out of Sight. But other than that, I've never been a big fan of J-Lo's movies, her music, or her somewhat creepy husband, Marc Anthony.

The marriage, however, seems to have been good for Lopez's music - specifically, her new Spanish-language album Como Ama una Mujer, which means "How a Woman Loves." The good folks at AOL Music are now streaming the album in its entirety, so purely out of curiosity, I decided to give it a listen.

My conclusion: Jennifer Lopez is better in Spanish than in English. She drops her silly club-friendly Jenny on the Block persona here in favor of subtle Latin folk-inspired tunes, and her voice is the better for it. It probably doesn't hurt that Anthony served as her musical coach for the album and contributes backing vocals as well. Give it a listen and tell me what you guys think.

What to TiVo: Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:50:44 -0800

ABC is new with V, Dancing With the Stars, and In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts: Bright Lights, Big Stars, All Access Nashville
CBS is new with NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, and The Good Wife
FOX is new with So You Think You Can Dance
NBC is new with The Biggest Loser
The CW is new with 90210 and Melrose Place
Bravo is new with Tabatha's Salon Takeover
Comedy Central is new with The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report
FX is new with Sons of Anarchy
MTV is new with The Hills, The City, and Styl'd
Late-night highlights include Jamie Foxx and Marc Anthony on Lopez Tonight on TBS; Jack Hanna and Shakira on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Jessica Biel on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Amerie on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; and Nina Garcia on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS