hubiestubert This is a film that is understated and while it's billed as a comedy, it ain't. It's about music, it's about people, and how music brings folks together.For fans of John Leguizamo's past films, this is going to be a surprise. It's not laugh out loud funny. It's a tale about a musician who comes from Mexico to LA, and the star in this film isn't John, it's not Elizabeth Pena, or any of the other very capable actors who lent their time to the film, but the music. And their passion for the music.And the nice thing is the stars in the film take a back seat to the music, they deliver a vehicle to let the sounds of the LA Latin music scene come forward.It's not a film for everyone. Some folks demand a plot that is a bit more driven, but this film slopes toward its conclusion, not with any haste, and gently. The characters are a framework to deliver the sounds of the scene, and that sort of structure is anathema to some film goers, but very familiar to folks who loved the classics, and this is a film that loves the classics as well as the new voices. It's a great homage to the great old vehicles that let bands and artists get notice, that championed their music.If you're looking for The Pest or something akin to Leguizamo's fantastic monologues, you might want to pass on it. This ain't them. But if you're looking for a film that is full of music, for just a sweet story, this might be the ticket.

theoneandonlyegi To be fair to the cast...... it wasn't totally their fault! The script was one of the worst dramas ever produced, as for comedy. It was lacking any sort of charismatic charm. The band's music were trainwrecks, except the (probably unintentional) Spanish? version of Duran Duran's Hungry like the Wolf. Ana Claudia Talancón contributed to the poor excuse of a supporting cast, all the focus was on Antonio (John Leguizamo) who failed to deliver a strong cocky young Antonio (although once again poor script). John Leguizamo is getting a little too old for this kind of part. Overall, i wouldn't even eat chocolate and watch this movie for inspiration.

StardustElixer I just saw the film. I rented it on Netflix. John Leguizamo has never looked better. Or younger. He's always amazing, no matter what he does, whether it's his own stand-up comedy or Shakespeare. It was nice to see him branch out even further into the realm of music playing a Mexican musician who moves to LA to fulfill his dream. Overall, I thought the film was an excellent first effort by writer/director Renee Chabria. She did the Latin music industry a great service by exposing all those wonderful musicians. The film is ultimately about music and one's devotion to that gift, so I appreciated the impressive diversity of the musicians featured (Zoe, Ely Guerra, Jumbo, Jose Jose). Once you realize it's all about the music, you forgive that the convenient love-story falls short of compelling. Elizabeth Pena is refreshing as Mirabela, and I hope to see Ana Claudia Talancon in future roles. There should really be a soundtrack for this film.

gradyharp When film credits don't include the writer/s names, problems can be expected. This little candy-coated attempt to explore how 'dreams really do come true' is more a music video than a full fledged film, a project where obviously the money was spent on the graphics of the opening credits and the staged musical numbers rather than on the script. This is not a bad movie: it is just predictably trite and places lines in the mouths of some very fine actors that must have been an embarrassment to speak.Antonio (John Leguizamo, with lots of hair and none of his expected comedic edge) is a Mexican immigrant who lands in Los Angeles with his grandfather's philosophy to follow that dream ('Sueño') and believes he will find his major career in his music. Reality sets in immediately as he is forced to work in his uncle's Taco Stand and play his guitar and sing in sleazy deadbeat nightclubs. He meets a customer Nina (Ana Claudia Talancón) who dreams of becoming a veterinarian but is committed to caring for her ailing papa (Winston J. Rocha). Despite sweet Antonio's attempts to woo her, she remains adamant that she must devote her life to caring for papa. Next door to Anthony the apartment is occupied by Mirabella (Elizabeth Peña), a newly divorced, middle-aged pudgy ex-singer who does housekeeping and laundry to support her children while she dreams of once again becoming a star vocalist: again the heart of gold Antonio befriends her, hears her sing and insists she has great talent.Antonio is encouraged by a good-hearted 'manager' Rafael (Jsu Garcia) and is paired with three other musicians to form a group El Gran Colectivo with the hesitant Mirabella as vocalist. There is the requisite Music Group Competition where against all odds the group competes out of faith and devotion to each other and the old type of music. That everyone's dream comes true is no surprise at all: the plot is so thin that the audience knows from the start how everything will resolve 'in a land where troubles melt like lemon drops...'.The idea is sweet, the message is wholesome, and the strong cast does everything it can with the treacle of a script hampering them. But unless you have an appetite for candy and can wait for the occasional surrealism of the dream sequences, this venture may just put you in sugar overload. Grady Harp