Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, bad version
Review: Look out! Although the information given here says this is in widescreen format, the DVD I got is actually in TV-chopped "fullscreen" format (a euphemism if there ever was one).
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting musical documentary
Review: This documentary presents the rediscovery and reunion of a number of masterful Cuban musicians, all of whom are aged and many of whom have not performed for many years. It is inspiring to watch how seemingly effortlessly they return to the stage, as well as their respect and affection both for their craft and for each other. They tell their own stories during interesting interviews. Although the film is packed with wonderful music, it is unfortunate that director Win Wenders cuts away from so many songs before they have concluded. Nevertheless, this remains a vital document that led me to contemplate the many incredible talents that must exist in obscurity all over the world.
Rating: 
Summary: A Cuban Music Jewel
Review: If you were born in Cuba, you will relive your past. Everytime I play it, my parents start talking about their lives, what Cuba was like and the meanings behind each song. Their eyes sparkle with a nostalgic joy that no other CD or documentary evoked in them.
If you are not Cuban, you will still love this item for its musical and historical value. The songs trace geographical, social, cultural and historic pictures of Cuba. Ibrahim walks the streets of New York with the admiration and respect that we Cubans feel for USA. The unique smooth, soothing voices, melodies and Caribbean rhytms fuse to create a documentary (or CD if you buy the CD) of a quality that has never been produced before and that will be difficult to surpass.
This is a true collectible for serious music lovers, historians, anthropologists and, of course, Cubans and Cuban-Americans that want to transmit the pride and history of their good ole Cuba to the next generation. No one should miss this one.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: I love a documentary. One on Cuba would be facinating but the addition of the histories, lifestyles, and opinions of the members of the BVSC in one DVD makes for an eye-opening, humbling view of the artistically-honed Cuban muscians. You visit their homes, meet their loved ones, see Cuba from their eyes. The differences between Americans and Cubans is impressive. To watch this DVD is to become more intimately aquainted with peace with one's self, humility, and humor about life. It rounds out the music disc in ways that are impossible to describe -- perhaps something like having a frank, private two-hour conversation Sinatra then having front row tickets and observing him sing. Just replace Sinatra with Ferrer. If you like BVSC, the making of it will touch and delight you -- and possibly much more imporantly -- make you grateful for the small things in life. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: buena vista social club
Review: The unknown gem of the cuban folklore. The old folks from the old Havana bring the real essence of the afroantillian music to the rest of the world.
Rating:
Summary: A good intro, but don't stop there.
Review: This video is wonderful if all you know about Cuban music is Buena Vista Social Club. However, if you can find the video called "Lagrimas Negras," which was made before BVSC and is often shown on WorldLinkTv, you'll quickly see that BVSC is a direct rip-off of an earlier video about a different group of son musicians. By all means, enjoy this video, but use it to explore deeper into traditional Cuban music.
Rating:
Summary: Cuba and its infectious music
Review: To say that this movie is a musical experience would be to distract from the fantastic footage of Cuba and some outstanding music and the persons performing. This is not a 'Vegas' or a hollywood glitzy production. These are not sounds of phoney... over paid, over pampered spoiled "hit parade" artists that we see on our video channels. This is MUSIC ... music that you can feel, very ordinary people in an impoverished country singing with heart. Oh what wonderful sounds, sights and sound produced by extremely talented but humble persons. Outside and/or inside these are not stars ... headliners but ooh the talent. This is a movie that every household should consider as a must and should become a classic.
Rating:
Summary: beautiful, but troubling.
Review: the music, the images of cuba, the bittersweet stories of the artists-- all haunting.still, the commodification of cuban music by the u.s. is disturbing. ry cooder is inappropriately self congratulatory over his "discovery" of the buena vista social club, at once exoticizing them while patronizing what he perceives as their simplicity.
Rating:
Summary: Makes my heart sing
Review: So far as I can tell this was the best way to show
how bossa is born...it's all in those eyes,
in this great voices, in those hands on piano..
a true masterpiece from a director who's speaking in
the language of film.
Rating:
Summary: Havana Heat!
Review: The documentary THE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB is a very unique film. It isn't a concert film as song are often cut, sung in a practice environment or just discussed. It also isn't a standard documentary as there is no one focus that is documented. But all of hat stems from how this originated. Musician/Composer/Producer Ry Cooder worked to find these musicians (many in their 80s and 90s) and after getting them together, recoded a Grammy winning album. This film was to follow the time since the album and culminating with their final performance in New York's Carnegie Hall. Members of the band share occasional stories. They go on about how they got involved in music. These stories are all linked with concert footage. Of course, they do not speak English so most of these tales are subtitled, as are the wonderful songs, sort of Cuban Jazz. So it is overall a unique experience giving the viewer snippets of Cuban life and how it differs from life in the United States. We also get to see the converse of that as we follow band members around New York City. Here we see their reaction to a world so different from their own. Buena Vista Social Club is not a deep film but always pleasing, even with a harsh video quality. The DVD includes some deleted scenes and a commentary by the director.
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