The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love is one of those novels that, despite a fantastic story, great characters, and overall brilliance, should not be taken to the silver screen.This was a weak adaptation of what is arguably Oscar Hijuelos' best novel. Are the characters intact? Mostly. Is the music good? Yes. But the story is drastically different.Novels like this simply cannot be compressed into a standard feature-length film. Too much character development is lost (along with half of the plot!), and the standard Hollywood story changes deprive the viewer of worthwhile material.The point is, despite some points of tragedy, this film was basically a feel-good story with an uplifting ending. Maybe you could call it a "romantic tragedy." But that's not how the novel played out, and when the studio cuts out the real tragedies of the story, we the viewers pay the price.

A better than average re-hash of the standard "rags-to-riches" formula: two Cuban musicians go to New York and overcome great hardships to find success as "The Mambo Kings." Spanish speakers, who might otherwise be a receptive audience, find it strange to watch two attractive but very white guys -- one French (Armand Assante) and one Spanish (Antonio Banderas) -- pretending to be Cuban without even trying for a Cuban accent. Even Desi Arnaz, Jr., playing his father, has a pronounced English accent. Linda Ronstadt, by contrast, does a wonderful job on Perfidia, but that song is only used as background music.The incomparable Celia Cruz, whose life is a genuine Cuban rags-to-riches story, has a small part, but is mostly limited to singing in English except for a bit of the classic "Guantanamera". It's too bad the producers didn't decide to film her story instead: at least she, her music and her speech are all genuine Cuban.

Warning that because I have said I cried, I felt I should say this is a bit of a spoiler...just a bit!! I have tried to see this movie several times, but only gotten pieces of it (the trials of being a working mother who gets interrupted constantly....!). I never realized how well-made it was, how amazing Antonio Banderas was (not knowing any English at the time), and how much the ending affected me. I come from a family of musicians -we're not Latino, but still, once you've decided that is your life it is very hard to do anything else- and this is a heart-breaking story of love, loss, artistic passion, family loyalty, and the effect of the time/era (1950's) on music and immigrants to the US (I'm a Canadian, but my husband is an Irish-American musician). I, too, know what it is like to have to do the "straight" job to pay the bills when all you want is to be what you were born to be. Desi Arnaz Jr. did a great job too, and the effects with the I Love Lucy Show were better than Forrest Gump!See this movie, but get your kleenex ready... .

Regarding the recent death of Latin superstar Celia Cruz, I was surprised by the lack of mention of her role in this film in the various obituaries and tributes I read. I don't know if she made movies in Cuba, but she was not only a powerful positive musical presence in "The Mambo Kings" but her character acting was outstanding and very charming. If you don't know anything about her and want to get an idea of who Celia Cruz was, see this movie. And that is far from the only reason to do so. This is one of my favorite romantic films for adults, as opposed to the juvenile and/or formulaic fare that passes for romance in American cinema. Armand Assante should have been at least nominated for best actor that year, he is so strong and yet vulnerable and lovable as the big brother with a powerful code of honor to his art and his family. The other kid, who has gone on to bigger and not necessarily better things, is also fine, considering his well-publicized effort to deliver his lines phonetically, since he did not speak English at the time. (No, I'm not forgetting his earlier fine contributions to several Almodovar films.) OK, Roscoe Lee Browne and Cathy Moriarty were a bit miscast, but what about the stroke of genius to have Desi Arnaz Jr play his father? The whole "I Love Lucy" segment of the film, while somewhat contrived in its importance to the story, is funny, well-done, and helps to bring the whole Cuban-American experience in New York into sharper focus, with the portrayal of Arnaz as both a superstar idol and a man very close to his roots. The music is fabulous, both the use of classic Cuban tracks and new music recorded for the film. Among the latter, "Sweet Maria of my Soul," the theme song performed by both Antonio Banderas in the film and Los Lobos over the end credits, was nominated for Best Song but was beat out by some plastic Disney tune. It is so organic, so romantic and soulful, it should be a classic movie song for the ages. Well, it will be for me...