Piñero

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed in this movie
Review: I am a fan of Benjamin Bratt, having admired his work in "Law and Order" as well as in his other movies, particularly the tv movie, "After the Storm." Even when the movies in which he appears are not the greatest, his performance is usually solid and entertaining. Having said this, I rented this movie based largely on earlier reviews of Pinero, most of which touted his performance as a great departure from his clean cut good guy image, and for showing his wide range of acting skills. I was disappointed in the movie itself, finding it disjointed, and finding the title character's life to be less than savory or sympathetic. I wasn't expecting to identify with the title character, but would have liked to have either admired him, his talent, or to have understood him better. None of these options was possible via this movie. I also felt that Mr. Bratt's attempt to show his range, tended toward over acting. Sometimes, less really is more. I had to laugh as the always sensational, and understated, Rita Moreno steals every scene of the movie in which she appeared. Unfortunately, stealing this movie doesn't seem to be much of a prize. Unless you're a true fan of Miguel Pinero (I'm not), I would not recommend this movie.

Rating:
Summary: A SAD PORTRAYAL OF MY BROTHERS LIFE
Review: I GIVE THIS FILM TWO STARS, ONE FOR MR.BRATTS PERFORMANCE,THE OTHER FOR THE MS.MORENOS THEY BOTH CAUGHT THE ESSENCE OF MY
MOTHER &BROTHER,THE REST OF THIS FILM [was not very good],ITS FULL FOR UNTRUTHES,IN THE FILMS CREDITS THEY THANK THE PINERO FAMILY
KNOWING FULLY THEY NEVER REQUESTED,OUR INPUT, IT WAS SOLEY
MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPLOITING HIS MEMORY &LEGACY, I HAVE
A 2HOUR VIDEO OF MIKEY, TALKING ABOUT HIS LIFE MADE 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO HIS DEMISE THAT ,MR.ICHASO NOR ANY AT THE FILM COMP.
WANTED TO SEE. THEY WERE MAKING THEIR VERSION,MIKEY,S LIFE
PS THEIR 10 BROTHERS & SISTER NOT 5,AT LEAST THEY COULD GET THAT RIGHT.
IT ALL BULL,,,,.SUGAR WAS NEVER, THE LOVE HIS,LIFE,ALGARIN
WAS NOT AT HIS DEATHBED,THEY HAD PARTED WAYS YEARS AGO,,
THIS ONLY DOES A A DISERVICE TO HIS MEMORY,LEGACY, HIS FAMILY
THAT ENTIRE,FILM COMPANY & ICHASO SHOULD BE ASHAMED IT ,ITS
GARBAGE, SOON ILL BE RELEASING THE VIDEO ,AND MIKEY WILL HAVE THE LAST WORD, A DISGUSTED BRO...

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing, but please check out Ichaso's earlier work
Review: I wish I liked 'Pinero' more than I do. I have a lot of respect for Ben Bratt and think he turns in a yeoman's effort here an Boriqueno poet Miguel Pinero. It's a complete transformation. Pinero's seedy, disheveled persona is a far cry from Bratt's polished, slicked-back 'Law and Order' look. And who doesn't root for Talisa Soto (Bratt's wife)? What a classy lady.

The problem is that the jumpy, non-linear, confusing look and storyline of Pinero make it hard to generate any warmth towards the film itself or the characters. Which is a shame, because Director Leon Ichaso is someone I'd like to recommend. His 1996 release 'Azucar Amarga' (Bitter Sugar) about one man's disillusionment with Castro's Cuba is a singular accomplishment and a transcendant movie-going experience. Despite my disappointment at the way 'Pinero' turned out, I'd still urge you to check 'Bitter Sugar' as soon as you possible can.

Rating:
Summary: Where¿s Tom Wolfe when you need him?
Review: Leon Ichaso has directed an artistic masterpiece. The music track is downright fantastic. Aesthetically, this film deserves not to be ignored. Americans of Puerto Rican descent, though, should be enraged at "Pinero." Is a convicted criminal who terrified and abused his victims an ideal representative of this ethnic group's artistic heritage? "Pinero" prompts one to recall Tom Wolfe's brilliant 1970 essay "Radical Chic and Mau-mauing the Flak Catchers." The author held up to ridicule those wealthy guilt tripped Liberals who encouraged the Black Panthers to make fools of them. The late poet-actor was a foul mouthed thug with enormous talent that mostly went to waste. Needless to add, the white Liberal establishment loved enduring his abuse and adolescent behavior.

Pinero's inability to exercise self control over his unruly appetites rendered him incapable of honoring commitments and developing healthy relationships. Benjamin Bratt's Academy Award worthy interpretation shows us a Pinero who mastered the art of victim politics. He did not look upon the United States as a beacon of hope and opportunity. Pinero instead perceived this great nation as an emasculator of his manhood and creative juices; an authentic Puerto Rican supposedly cannot be a real American. Fine performances are given by many members of the cast. Talisa Soto is perfect as the woman who cannot abandon Pinero even when it becomes obvious that he is a lost cause. The role of Miguel Pinero's mother is wonderfully carried out by veteran actress Rita Moreno. Mandy Pantinkin and Giancarlo Esposito also deserve honorable mention. This movie is a must see for those desiring to further understand the nihilistic American artists of the later half of the twentieth Century. "Pinero" may not be for everybody, but it easily earns five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Difficult to sit through
Review: Pinero is a dramatic biography of Miguel Pinero, a Puerto Rican national who came to the US when he was eight and grew up on the lower east-side of New York during the tumult of the 60's-70's counterculture. While in prison, Pinero discovers his extraordinary talent with language and becomes a legendary Latino poet who gave voice to the disaffected of his generation.

Pinero doesn't so much battle heroin addiction as he accepts, revels in, and incorporates it into his lifestyle for all to see. His convoluted sense of ethics and enormous charisma make for a truly fascinating character study, which is why after watching the film Pinero, it's difficult to understand why such great substance was squandered by such poor direction and editing.

What I immediately found distracting was that Pinero was shot entirely on digital video [DV]. In the ten-minute "making-of" extra on the DVD, the director describes the choice to shoot on DV as a deliberate artistic consideration which I find very difficult to believe. DV is rarely if ever chosen over 35mm save for issues of economics, i.e., celluloid is VERY expensive to buy, shoot, light, process, edit, etc., whereas DV is relatively cheap...tens of thousands versus hundreds of thousands or millions in processing alone. The makers of Pinero clearly had enormous aspirations for their film [and rightly so] and made budgetary considerations based on what they saw as most important; great actors, good location shooting, etc. Unfortunately this was a big and obvious corner to cut and gives the entire film a harsh, sharp, made-for-TV quality that's very unpleasant. Even with enormous budgets, it's very difficult to make DV an appealing medium for the silver screen as has been frequently the criticism levied against George Lucas' most recent Star Wars prequel offerings. Moreover, the idea of using DV for a Sci-fi is much more logical than on a period piece set primarily in the 70's and 80's which really seems to demand celluloid to be truly "authentic."

The acting by Bratt is really first rate as Pinero struts and stumbles from one inebriated episode to the next, in and out of consciousness, and from flashback to flash-forward. The supporting cast is very believable and extremely well-chosen. It's a pity that the screenplay wasn't more cogent however. The real-life Miguel Pinero was an extremely charming and magnetic personality which makes the concept of how his friends could tolerate his abuse more plausible. The film tends to give the personable side of Pinero short shrift which makes his benefactor's patience seem abstract and absurd. There are moments of extreme irony where Pinero is fixing heroin on a filthy bathroom floor when he should be accepting an award for his play, Short Eyes, or when he attempts to scalp comp tickets to a performance of his work. However, I never felt like any of these ironies were properly setup and executed in the film so that the audience could really appreciate the enormous tragedy that was this man's life. The gravity of his accomplishments are never appropriately juxtaposed to his vices in a chronological way as to make sense of any of it. None of the seminal statements about Pinero's self-view, such as his insistence that in order to write about a certain kind of life, one must live it as a method actor does. This premise was given such a casual treatment that it's easily lost in the barrage of drugged-out camera interpretation.

Major complexities of Pinero's life such as his sexuality are all but ignored. This struck me as very odd. In the one brief scene that seemed to make a statement about this, it's very hard to discern whether Pinero is bisexual or just wasted and confused which I'm sure is offensive to those that believe this facet of his life is being deliberately glossed over for Hollywood effect.

In general, as a film, Pinero is very dull. There is so much of an emphasis on style and effect that it overshadows the story and becomes very taxing to follow. Worse yet, the film almost instills a sense of relief and/or indifference when the main character actually dies--an unintended flaw, I'm sure. The bonus making-of documentary is too brief at 10 min., but much more lucid than the film and is consequently more enjoyable.

Perhaps someday someone will try to tackle the story of Miguel Pinero on film in a way that does his story justice. Until that point, if you want a film about:

squandered artistic genius, see Amadeus
a charismatic addict, see Barfly
the pathos of heroin addiction, see Trainspotting

And if you want to know more about Miguel Pinero, read a book.

2/5

Rating:
Summary: A great movie although very sad and tragic
Review: Pinero is based on the life of puertorican playwright, actor and poet Miguel Pinero. His life from early childhood was a constant struggle for survival since his father abandoned his mother (played by the great Rita Moreno)when he was a small boy. Pinero turned to a life of crime while still in his early teens and served time in Sing-Sing for arm robbery and stealing cars. While on the inside Pinero turned his anger and frustrations to writing short stories which later became plays such as his most successful and controversial play "SHORT EYES" which was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Play in the late 70's. Pinero also started a theater group in jail and perform for the other inmates plays that he had written. Joseph Papp, the legendary theater producer read Pinero's play "SHORT EYES" and decided to produced it Off Broadway while it became a success despite is limted run.

I have never been fond of Benjamin Bratt as an actor but in this movie he did an excellent job and really transformed himself into the character. This movie is a bit strong and somewhat harsh since it depicts the reality of the character. Miguel Pinero was not only a convict but a drug addict who took heavy doses of cocaine and would inject large quantaties of heroin on his arms. Pinero lived the life of a bum through out his life and even as he reached moderate success as a playwright he still hard a tough time fighting his inner demons. He died in 1988 at the age of 40 of Aids (I believe) after he overdosed on more heroin.

This movie is not for everyone but it is a good movie whose main character lived a very sad and tragic life and just as he lived life on the edge he ended his run on earth the same way.

Rating:
Summary: "Puerto Rico...My Heart's Devotion..."
Review: There is a lightbulb moment in Leon Ichaso's "Pinero" in which Miguel Pinero (Benjamin Bratt)in Puerto Rico for a poetry reading, poetry performance really, is scolded by a man in the audience, (and I am paraphrasing here):
Besides the Rum and the Beaches and the weather what do you really know about Puerto Rico and it's problems? You pick and choose what you want from Puerto Rico to fuel your disgusting, angry tirades. You call yourself "NuYorican" as if you are a race of people apart fom those of us who call Puerto Rico our home....
What's ironic is that Pinero goes on an "angry, disgusting" tirade by way of answering the man's pointed questions and concerns; thereby, sustantiating what the man has said. Up to this point, Ichaso has painted a romanticized, subjectively removed portrait of Pinero: his celebrated charisma, his radiant personality, his way with both men and women. But the gentlemen in Puerto Rico snaps us back to the reality of what fueled Pinero's life: his idealization of his childhood Puerto Rico and his subsequent longing for that time in which, he felt life was beautiful and all was well.
Ichaso has chosen to romanticize the trajectory of Pinero's life, through the use of beautifully shot black and white flashbacks and vibrant color "now" scenes. He sets Pinero up as an achetype for all the poor artistic souls who find themselves slaves to their own celebrity as well as to drugs and alcohol. In this sense this film is very similar to "Basquiat" of a few years ago. Both Basquiat and Pinero had very troubled childhoods involving all manner of degradations and problems. Both were extremely talented people who let themselves fall victim to what is now a cliche : the tormented artist who escapes through the use of drugs or liquor or both. Think Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams, Capote, Kerouac, Lautrec or Verlaine to name a very very few. They, like Pinero were full of an artistic fire that inevitably consumed itself, little by little, as it created.
Smack dab in the center of this film is the towering performance of Benjamin Bratt as Pinero and his accomplishment cannot be denied. He's handsome, charming, magnanimous, charitable to a fault, infuriating and pathetic. You wouldn't want him in your life but if he was...you wouldn't want to get rid of him either.
I would think that this is the part of a lifetime for Bratt and he plays it like it's his last.
Talisa Soto is radiant and sexy as Sugar, Pinero's girlfiend and Rita Moreno's indomitable spirit as his mother infuses the entire film with good cheer and pride.
"Pinero" is not a perfect film but it certainly has what very few films have....an all consuming lifeforce that affirms as well as questions our place and function here on earth.

Rating:
Summary: Style and Promises , Unfulfilled
Review: There is so much to like about this film PINERO that once the movie is over you sit staring at the screen or the TV wondering why you just don't care. The main character Miguel Pinero was a gifted artist and a pungent voice for independent thinking. The portrayal by Benjamin Bratt is first class acting, surely some of the finest work this underrated actor has done. The supporting cast is excellent. The cinematic effects are bewitching to behold. Why doesn't it work? I think part of the problem is the quality of sound, the levels of speaking often buried in noise so that straining to follow the dialogue becomes annoying. The sexual innuendoes in the flashbacks of Pinero's youth are well handled, but then comes the major ommission of Pinero's bisexuality. Yes, few Hollywood actors or writers want to deal with gay issues with doumentary topics. But part of Pinero's magic was his own balancing of his attraction to young teenage men as well as to women. It enriched his poetry, his plays, his presence. Why leave that out of a filmed biography? This could have been an absolutely gripping film that contained the courage of Pinero. But alas, homophobia wins out again.

Rating:
Summary: A powerful film.........Pinero's portray is brought to life.
Review: This is a powerful movie. It is about the late Pinero's life. Pinero was a young man who was very much into poetry, politics, social justice. It is also about how the exodus of Puerto Ricans leaving their island-home to a promise land known as the U.S.

When they arrive, with all their great aspirations, they confront race, class, economic, political, and ethnic inequality as it pertains to them. Pinero is the Puerto Rican voice of dissent; he is the eye-opener who sees more than just the complacent mind may adapt to and not know it; he is way ahead of his time.

Rating:
Summary: WORST MOVIE
Review: THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES I'VE EVER SEEN. THE ACTING, THE DIRECTING, EVERYTHING. IT WAS AMATURISH. IT JUST MADE YOU NOT CARE AT ALL. I'M SURE A MUCH BETTER MOVIE COULD HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THIS MANS LIFE. A MORE TRUTHFUL MOVIE, A MORE INTERESTING MOVIE.