Tango Fatal has a scenario of sorts, involving: 1) a bar owner whose efforts to save his struggling business lead him into a partnership with a couple of local toughs to fix a horse race, 2) the rivalry among three dancers at his establishment, and 3) an assortment of colorful patrons and neighborhood characters. But the plot in this hour-shy made for television piece (apparently shot on video), isn't much more than an excuse for a series of musical numbers—mostly instrumentals—featuring elaborately choreographed tangos. As a dramatic narrative, Tango Fatal is not terribly impressive: the camerawork strains for artistic effect but comes across as incessantly busy; the color palette is garish (especially in view of the unforgiving lighting), and the acting in the non-musical scenes could charitably be called mediocre. But what really matters here is the music by Carlos Franzetti (the original album won a Latin Grammy Award) and the dancing, which is genuinely sultry. DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (comprised of interviews), a brief bloopers reel, a few additional music tracks, some information on the tango and the vocabulary of the dance, and a photo gallery. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Tango Fatal
(2006) 54 min. DVD: $19.98. V.I.E.W. Video. Color cover. ISBN: 0-8030-2227-1. Volume 21, Issue 5
Tango Fatal
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: