Piñero

Who'd have thought Benjamin Bratt could give such an impassioned, stormy, totally absorbing performance? In this warts-and-all bio-pic of Miguel Piñero, the Puerto Rican Bronx poet and playwright who captured the imagination of New York's culture vultures in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but never quite weaned himself away from hard drugs and petty crime, Bratt resurrects Piñero's broken soul with delicious, jazz-riff dialogue and an unwashed cool look. Written and directed by Leon Ichaso, this far-above-average biography is like a gritty, stream of consciousness, digital video poem that takes on its subject's manic energy. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras (although barebones) include a 10-minute spirited featurette "A Look at Miguel Pinero, The Man" with cast and crew. Bottom line: A meager extras package for a solid film.] (R. Blackwelder)