The Mambo Kings

Based on a book by Oscar Hijuelos, The Mambo Kings follows brothers Cesar (Armand Assante) and Nestor Castillo (Antonio Banderas) as they arrive in America with dreams of making it big as musicians – with the movie detailing the characters’ subsequent ups and downs in both their professional and personal lives. First-time director Arne Glimcher delivers an entertaining (albeit somewhat generic) drama that benefits substantially from its authentic atmosphere and raft of appealing performances, with, in terms of the latter, Assante and Banderas delivering solid, thoroughly charismatic work that goes a long way towards perpetuating the picture’s watchable vibe. It’s clear, then, that the film’s inability to become more than just passable entertainment is due mostly to Cynthia Cidre’s predominantly by-the-numbers screenplay, as The Mambo Kings generally unfolds exactly as anticipated and contains few subplots or digressions of a genuinely surprising variety – with the less-than-fresh vibe compounded, to a certain extent, by a pace that could certainly stand to be a little bit quicker. It’s difficult, however, not to be won over by the ongoing emphasis on period-centric elements, including a raft of memorable, captivating musical sequences, which ultimately does cement The Mambo Kings‘ place as a just-good-enough bit of old-fashioned moviemaking.

**1/2 out of ****