Josh Grossnicklaus Arturo Sandoval is one of the most phenomenal trumpet players the world has in existence today. The story of his love, his passion, and his music are all colorfully depicted in the film. As a musician and jazz connoisseur myself, I feel that Garcia's portrayal of the anguish Sandoval experienced under Castro's regime is excellent. As he reveals his motives for defection to the American ambassador, there is a sense of unspoken understanding as to the reasons that Sandoval decides to defect.If you walk away from this movie without any emotion, you just didn't get it. Go out and listen to as much jazz as possible!

Cyndie I have always been an Andy Garcia Fan. The first thing I remember seeing him in was in the 1980's. I think he is a truly GREAT actor. He demonstrates a sensitivity and compassion that I have never seen duplicated by another actor. In this movie, about his beloved Cuba, his performance is without equal. He becomes Arturo. You are there with him and his family, you begin to understand the suffering and pain the revolution brought down upon the Cuban people. It will make you love Cuba, and the Cuban people, even as you hate the regime that destroyed their way of life. In my opinion, this is a MUST see movie. I gave it a 10/10.

bgordon969 The story of Sandoval's defection is rather melodramatic and highly propagandistic, with the fantastic music in the background. I would have preferred the music to have dominated the production. The acting, including Garcia and the stunning Mia Maestro, was fine; but someone needs to tell Andy that when you play the trumpet, you must breathe--randomly fingering the thing fails to convince. The supporting cast was excellent, and the scenes (filmed in Puerto Rico) at least somewhat suggestive of Cuba.Of particular note was the high-definition TV version carried by satellite. The picture quality, viewed on appropriate projection equipment, is truly stunning. Amazing detail, profound color depth, and three-dimensionality were present; any noticeable video artifact was completely absent. The sound, in digital 2.0, was still quite convincing, rendering true timbres and dimensionality. I would assume that the DVD version will have 5.1 sound, but it cannot and will not have the same picture quality that 1080i offers.Congratulations to HBO for creating an artistic success and a technical marvel.

Bill Campbell HBO certainly knows how to produce movies. This movie makes you laugh and cry at the same time. It is a sad story and a happy one at the same time. It is the story of the defection of Arturo Sandoval, his wife and son, to the United States from Cuba. The acting is superb. Charles Dutton IS Dizzy Gillespie, Mia Maestro is just gorgeous, Andy Garcia is a powerhouse actor, and the supporting cast are all very good. Since I have had the opportunity to hear Arturo Sandoval play in person, this movie was special to me, but it will be a very entertaining, enlightening 2 hours for anyone who sees it.