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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: New Line Home Video
Salesrank: 12792
Released: October 30, 2007 |
| Our Price: $3.75 |
| Used Price: $1.49 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
In their dazzling first on-screen pairing, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony bring to life this riveting tale of romance and redemption based on the true story of salsa legend Hector Lavoe and the woman who kept him from falling over the edge. It's the 1970s and the salsa revolution is in full swing. Hector Lavoe (Anthony), is the singer, El Cantante whose voice can move millions and whose passion moves one woman, his wife Puchi (Lopez). But when the spotlight brings Lavoe's personal demons and addictions to light, it will take the incredible devotion of his wife to put him on the path to becoming the legend he was born to be.
DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurette
Description of El Cantante:
Though they don't look much alike, slight actor-singer Marc Anthony was born to play robust salsa sensation Héctor Lavoe. In addition to similar ancestry and vocal skills, Anthony has been building a respectable cinematic resume with roles in Big Night and Martin Scorsese's Bringing out the Dead. The title of El Cantante comes from a number Rubén Blades wrote for The Singer. Lavoe would make it his signature song. In the film, Anthony's wife, producer Jennifer Lopez, plays Puchi, the Nuyorican beauty who won Lavoe's heart. She narrates their story from the perspective of 2002 (the real-life Puchi passed away shortly afterwards). Leon Ichaso (Piñero) contrasts Lavoe's rise from Puerto Rican street singer to New York superstar with his fall from innocent immigrant to heroin-addicted ladies man. By the mid-1980s, Lavoe's popularity hit its peak, and Ichaso spends the rest of the time ticking off the tragedies of his final years: the break with trombonist Willie Colón (John Ortiz), stay in a mental ward, etc. It's a dynamic portrait, and Anthony and Lopez work well together, but despite the urban setting and Latin-flavored soundtrack, El Cantante follows virtually the same trajectory as Ray and Walk the Line (Ichaso has also directed biopics of Jimi Hendrix and Muhammad Ali). His movie looks and sounds authentic, but Lavoe's story might've been better served as nonfiction. There's a sense that there was more to the man than what appears on screen. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
El Cantante Reviews:
good movie 
2009-11-02 - The music in the movie is great!!! Thats the main reason I wanted to buy this movie...
Hector Lavoe music makes you want to dance when you hear it...
Good Movie 
2009-08-27 - I thought it was a good movie ,i liked seeing Marc and Jen work together, very electricfyng (sp)
The Jennifer Lopez Show 
2009-01-31 - Yeah, no kidding this was produced by Lopez herself. The whole thing is like one extended Jennifer Lopez video.
"Look at me, I'm shaking my booty. Look at my hair, look at me smiling, look at me with my period makeup. Look how sexy I am even snorting coke in my wig! I'm even hot in the '70's"
Every scene seemed like an opportunity for Lopez to showcase how gorgous and hot she is...oh, and the director encourages it! In every scene he makes sure to capture Lopez makeup and hair and clothes even if it has no impact whatsoever on the story line. Even if showing her makes no sense. There she is.
This movie was irritating on so many levels. You know that music they play in Mexican Restaurants? Well this whole movie features that kind of white noise. At first it made me hungry for con queso and chips. After that, it just kept reminding me that salsa is really not so great of a musical genre. It all sounds the same and it's hopelessly trite.
And lastly, Marc Anthony. This man is so bad. Such an ugly little rat faced monkey that it was impossible for me to believe he was any sort of 'ladies man' let alone a Latino Rock Star. Are you kidding me? He'd be great as a creepy character actor playing a small role as a janitor or maybe even a pervert of some sort. But to give him 2nd billing in a Jennifer Lopez movie and show him almost as much as Lopez...it made me completely disgusted by this skinny and hideous little man. He's like Gollum sans the cute.
Just skip this J.Lo show and check out a real 'poor me, I'm famous' movie like 'Walk Hard- The Dewey Cox Story'.
If you love Salsa, you must see this
2009-01-17 - Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony both do a phenomenal job in this movie. Jennifer Lopez became her character and once again gives a shockingly good performance. She is an actress that hasn't been given the accolades she deserves. Marc Anthony was also amazing. His singing was top notch as was his acting. If you love Salsa music, this is a must see.
Love it!
2009-01-11 - Great movie, I love JLO's and Marc combination! they are a great couple! The movie was awesome! Jennifer Lopez performance is one of the best! Thumbs up!
