This mockumentary boasts a funny-sounding concept: frumpy, bald, 33-year-old white guy Juan Francés (Spencer John French), who was raised by a working-class Mexican couple (Lupe Ontiveros, Danny Trejo) and considers himself a Latino, is an amateur singer-songwriter claiming to have been blessed by the Virgin of Guadalupe. After playing at a “Cacapalooza” concert (CACA being the acronym for the Chiropractic Aid for Chicano Agriculturalists), he lands a fluke hit on the Latin charts with a sentimental song paying tribute to migrant workers, and before long he's a pop sensation whose sound gets a reggaeton makeover. Egged on by enthusiastic girlfriend Angelica (Maria Esquivel) and obnoxious producer Narcisso (David Franco), Juan soon forgets his ties to the common folk and indulges in typical MTV-style excess—until he meets his Anglo biological father. The resulting genealogical revelation sends him spiraling downward in mixed-race confusion as he grapples with an exaggeratedly silly identity crisis. Unfortunately, the weak script (co-written by the star and his sister, Amy French, who also directed) is too dependent on the single joke (coupled with Juan's cheeky, nonsensical song lyrics), making this attempt at cross-cultural satire a miss. Not recommended. (M. Sandlin)
El Superstar: The Unlikely Rise of Juan Francés
Cinema Libre, 90 min., not rated, DVD: $24.95, Blu-ray: $29.95 Volume 26, Issue 2
El Superstar: The Unlikely Rise of Juan Francés
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