The Mambo Kings

Stars: Armand Assante (Q & A, The Marrying Man), Antonio Banderas (Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!), Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull, Kindergarten Cop), Maruschka Detmers (Hanna's War, Devil In The Flesh). Although it produced a respectable 6.7 million at the boxoffice, The Mambo Kings will find its real audience on video where the lack of a top-drawer cast will not be as much of a barrier. Based on Oscar Hijuelos Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the film tells the story of the Cuban Castilo brothers, Cesar (Armand Assante) and Nestor (Antonio Banderas), who come to New York in 1952 hoping to follow in the successful footsteps of Desi Arnez. In an electrifying musical sequence early on, Cesar walks onstage at the Palladium and matches conga wizard Tito Fuentes (who plays himself) beat for beat and then some. Soon the brothers are out of their menial slaughterhouse jobs and onto the club circuit, but Cesar offends the most influential promoter in town one evening and the boys are back in the abattoir. On top of music troubles, the Castilos have women trouble, particularly Nestor, who marries in New York (but his heart is back in Cuba). Eventually the Castilo's get a second shot at fame when Desi Arnez (played by Desi Arnez, Jr.) invites them on the "I Love Lucy" show (a perfectly edited sequence featuring Assante and Banderas trading one-liners with Lucille Ball). Although the plot strays in several different directions, The Mambo Kings hides its structural problems through the sheer charisma of its strong acting (particularly Assante's performance) and irrepressible music. Audience: Music lovers, movie lovers, and just plain lovers. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review--Aug. 9, 2005--Warner, 105 min., R, $19.98--Making its first appearance on DVD, 1992's The Mambo Kings sports a great-looking transfer and a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, with DVD extras including audio commentary by director Arne Glimcher, a five-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a fine film.]