Director: Wim Wenders
Year: 1999
Music documentary about some great rediscovered Cuban musicians, but the camera-work and editing is annoyingly hap-hazard and the American music producer who was the initiating force behind finding the musicians and putting them back together hogs too much camera time, becoming far too important to the film. He should have organized it and then stepped back, let the film and music focus on these great old Cuban musicians. He shouldn't have played on stage with them either, he distracts, as does his son, from the organic afro-cuban jazz that emanates from the 70-90 year old geezers.
Found myself very frustrated with Wenders film, although I was totally enamoured by the music, the musicians, and Cuba itself, its people, its architecture, its unique culture. Which says the filmmaking must have been really bad, if I was disappointed by the film although I loved its subject. Poorly made, but the music stands on its own, and its still interesting to learn a little about the players... feels more like one of those poorly slapped together behind the scenes documentaries that are extra features on a DVD, doesn't feel like a documentary feature film.
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