RSS Feed
¡De Película! Hialeah Library Film Reviews: Hispanic Heritage
Brian De Palma’s classic film “Scarface”, tells the story of a Cuban immigrant, played brilliantly by Al Pacino, who comes to America and slowly rises to become the drug kingpin of Miami. This movie is the story of the rise and fall of Tony Montana and is not for those looking for a happy ending. It also stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Loggia as Elvira and Frank respectively. In my personal opinion, this is one of the great classics; however, I find it unfortunate that it has been ruined by popular culture. These days, everyone knows Scarface and recognize it as the best gangster flick ever. People idolize Tony Montana and his rise to power, but often forget that he also fell from power. Every empire falls, and Tony Montana’s drug empire is no exception. “La Bamba” is a story about the real life events of rock star Ritchie Valens. The film follows Ritchie, played by Lou Diamond Phillips, as he goes from a poor Hispanic boy with dreams, aspirations and talent to match, to a rock and roll star. With the help of his mother and inspiration from Donna, the girl of his dreams, Ritchie hopes to make it big. Bob, Ritchie’s alcoholic brother and Rosie, his pregnant girlfriend, also help him along the way to his dreams. Joe Pantoliano plays Bob Keane, Ritchie’s manager which helps him get his first record. The film also focuses on Ritchie’s fear of flying and eventual death in a plane crash after his songs “Donna” and “La Bamba” become hits. “La Bamba” is a film that takes you through the ups and downs of the life of a beloved Hispanic-American rock star. I believe that this is a good movie in terms of a life story, however as a film itself, it did not appeal to me. It’s a film that only needs to be watched once, unless of course, you’re a fan of Ritchie Valens music. All in all, it’s a nice movie, not smart or clever, but a good movie overall. On my grading scale, it...