Panamanian salsa singer Ruben Blades made an impressive acting debut in this clever reworking of the old story of a man who rises to fame, forgets about his old friends, and then hits the skids. Blades and his band struggle to earn a living on New York's less-than-lucrative Latino music
circuit, but Blades has "crossover dreams," yearning to make it big in the mainstream. His musical mentor, Virgilio Marti, discourages Blades from abandoning his roots, but after Marti's death Blades comes to the attention of slick producer Joel Diamond, who pays him $15,000 to record a pop
single. The song becomes a minor hit, and Blades says adios to his old friends and takes to life in the fast lane in a financed fancy car. As his head swells, Blades even drives away his devoted girlfriend, Elizabeth Pena; then the bottom falls out when the album follow-up to his single bombs.
CROSSOVER DREAMS is a simple but effective tale of a talented individual sucked into the void of a sleazy industry. Though director Leon Ichaso deserves much of the credit for the film's success, the real find here is Blades, whose evocative singing comes as no surprise to salsa fans, but whose
excellent dramatic performance led to a number of other screen roles, including his excellent work in THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR. leave a comment
