I was so much looking forward to see this film, yet had to flip channels after 15 minutes of watching. Tried it a second time and the same happened. Unfortunately Marc Anthony and J Lo cant assume their roles as Hector and Pucci, they maintain themselves estranged from their mission on hand. The story line is bland, lacks precision as to the true life of "El Cantante". Also lacks resolve as to why Lavoe chose a path of self absorption. The Fania All Stars is close to non existent in the story, and Willie Colon just a pawn to lean on. Lavoe's grandeur is also absent from the story line. The mad genius is missed, and as to his musicality, Marc Anthony lacks authenticity to reveal why Lavoe made it in the big city.

I personally think that this movie was extremely good, plain and simple. The film started off wonderful from the get-go with a scene where an older, more reminiscent Puchi is telling her side of the story regarding Hector to a documentary film crew. You can totally get the feel of her character right from the start, and can detect her brash, in-your-face attitude suddenly.The music was absolutely amazing, the acting performances by Jennifer, Marc, and the rest of the supporting cast were amazing also, as well as complex. The directing and cinematography were also very good, and I particularly enjoyed the grainy texture of a lot of the scenes, especially the concert/performing scenes. And I also really liked that the director decided to add subtitles for some of the Spanish dialogue scenes and most of the concert scenes. I felt that by adding the subtitles for the songs that Hector performed really gave non-Spanish speakers a scope into the real meaning of the words, and more importantly, the songs themselves. Again, the music was remarkable! Jennifer's performance was absolutely amazing! I don't care what anyone says, she seemed to completely immerse herself in her character and tapped into all of her expansive acting range and emotion. She played the role of Puchi with much confidence and when needed, much vulnerability. I've heard some people commenting on Jennifer's accent, and how it was over done and what not, but keep in mind people, that was how Puchi really spoke! If anyone has had time to check out the DVD commentary by the two original writers of the screenplay: David Darmstaedter and Todd Bello, one would know that they were the ones who actually interviewed and recorded Puchi while she was in a hospital in New York before she died in 2002. They said that Jennifer used their tapes as well as other research she had done for the basis to prepare for the role of Puchi. They said she thoroughly listened to the tapes in order to get everything, down to the tone of her voice right. It was very insightful.Marc, who obviously played the title character of Hector Lavoe, was also excellent in his role. He was very instinctive and laid-back with his acting approach, but it worked wonders. The singing/concert scenes just seemed to validate even more, his superb talents as a singer in his own right. He seemed to really embody the essence of Hector Lavoe, in my opinion, and it was great to see on screen. Many have said that with Marc's great, but understated performance, that he was out-shown, or eclipsed by Jennifer's performance, but I don't know really. Jennifer and Marc had two different acting approaches in my opinion; Jennifer had to be more brash and in-your-face because that was how her character was, according to everyone who knew her, while Marc, who had to embody Hector, had to have a cool, calm and "collected" nature to him (for the most part, of course). Many close to Hector described him as a "Joker," good natured, self-destructive, and extremely flawed, so Marc's acting depicted that I feel. But all-in-all, I personally felt that Jennifer gave the more convincing and complex performance of the two (although Marc was wonderful as well-it's just that Jennifer was that much better).My favorite scenes were: The one where Puchi comes into the recording studio to find Hector's other girlfriend Carmen there, and she has her kicked out (LOL). The scene where Puchi comes home to find Hector shooting-up heroin/high, and they fight. Another is the scene in the night-club towards the end, where Hector is singing, and Puchi comes in to tell him that their son was killed. Then, the scene after their son's funeral when they have another huge fight at their apartment. All of the music/concert scenes were also favorites of mine.Here's another point I wanted to bring up: the never-ending amount of people on this board and other places, as well as critics, talking about the abundance of screen-time that Puchi (Jennifer) gets in this film. People, the story is told from the point-of-view of Puchi, hence Jennifer being in the movie that much. It's not rocket science people. And don't give me that crap about Jennifer giving herself more screen-time because she's one of the producers on the film, that doesn't fly with me. The woman had been attached to the project (as a producer first, and then was convinced to co-star in the film LATER-before her and Marc were even a married couple) since 2001. And Puchi, of all people, wanted Jennifer to play her. What were the producers, director, screenwriters, correspondents, etc. suppose to do really? Write the script from the point-of-view of Hector? No. Unfortunately, he's no longer with us, and he couldn't be there to help guide the film-makers in the process of developing the movie (which wasn't the case with the biopic "Ray"-Ray Charles was alive for the making of the film, and helped with its development). Instead, they were left with the one other person who would possibly know him better than anyone else-his wife, along with many of his friends, band-mates, and manager.Another thing to keep in mind, is the fact that this is NOT a documentary, but only a film based on a true story of Hector's life. There are some aspects that might have been modified in order to condense and what not. But lets be real here folks, it's pretty damn difficult to squeeze the entirety of someone's tragic life into a nearly 2 hour time slot.Lastly, I just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and it was a joy to discover the beautiful music known as salsa, as well as learn more about the turbulent life of a hero in music folk-lore.

I had been looking forward to seeing this film, despite the wretched reviews. After viewing it last night, however, I can understand why so many people (professional critics especially) were disgusted with El Cantante.Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are both capable actors who could have portrayed Puchi and Hector LaVoe as genuine human beings - complex, driven and conflicted - but instead all they're given to work with is mind-bogglingly superficial claptrap, posing as a script, which shows them as nothing more than clichés: she marries the up-and-coming singer who turns out to be a clueless drug addict and he drags her down with him or at least he does his very best to try, blah blah blah. There's not a shred of insight into their characters anywhere to be found. The onstage scenes were good (and I liked the creative way the English translation of the lyrics were displayed on screen), but this is not supposed to be a music video, it's supposed to be a full-length movie. I was not familiar with Hector and Puchi going in, but I know enough to believe they deserved better.

Vanity project for J-Lo kind of starring her husband about one of the founders of Salsa who's hard driving life left him burned out and dead of AIDS. Told in flashback by a woefully miscast and wildly too young J-Lo this is about something, I'm not sure what. Maybe about some guy who makes music. Yes thats it Marc Anthony is in it and he sings a lot. he also gets drunk and high a great deal. And he plays a lot of music...oh yea and he throws up on J-lo (actually I think this about a woman who prattles on and on and on and talks about nothing). Think of the worst Behind the Music special on VH1 and then remove any sort of information. I watched this film for two hours and I have no idea who anyone was. J-Lo as Anthony's wife babbles on about how funny her husband was but we never see it. Everyone else wanders around doing things that are never really explained- except when they make music. The music here is wonderful. A mix of music of the period with great Salsa this is a movie that almost becomes a great music video, unfortunately the music gets interrupted for J-Lo's rambling narration or unconnected dialog scenes. This may mean something if you know who the actors are suppose to be portraying, if not you're going to be very very lost. Poorly filmed, the set ups are almost basic and unimaginative, and the scenes of New York and elsewhere were clearly filmed decades after the events take place (Marc Anthony's character had been dead over ten years when Andrew Lloyd Webber's woman in White played the Marriot Marquis.) There's a good story here and clearly Marc Anthony, who's as good as his wife is bad, is the man to act in it, but the film as it exists now is really pointless. Its not bad, its badly made so that you come out knowing less than when you went in. Frankly the only reason to see this is the music which is great. Maybe if we can find a print where the narration is removed and we just hear the songs we might have a watchable film.