Because of You

Rating:
Summary: How do you repay the dying man who taught you to dance?
Review: "Because of You" tells the story of Kyoko (Saki Takaoka), a young Japanese woman who travels to New York City to visit Jose (Carlos Osorio), the Cuban-American soldier who taught her Salsa dancing years before when he was stationed in her country. However, when she finds him she discovers he has AIDS, his memory is failing and his health is deteriorating. His final wish is to see his family in Miami one last time, and she agrees to drive him there, hoping that she can trigger his memories of the time they had spent together as dance partners and remember her. This 1995 film, from Ryu Murakami, the director of "Tokyo Decadence," was produced by Roger Corman, which surprised me because this movie is pretty far from his standard exploitative type of film. "Because of You" is an emotional film, surprisingly show given the unusual combination of elements. Or perhaps that is why it works so well, with Kyoko's memories of dancing with Jose contrasted with his debilitating disease. It is also one of the most touching "off-beat friendship" films I have seen in quite a while. If you can find this at your local video store, please check it out.

Rating:
Summary: How do you repay the dying man who taught you to dance?
Review: "Because of You" tells the story of Kyoko (Saki Takaoka), a young Japanese woman who travels to New York City to visit Jose (Carlos Osorio), the Cuban-American soldier who taught her Salsa dancing years before when he was stationed in her country. However, when she finds him she discovers he has AIDS, his memory is failing and his health is deteriorating. His final wish is to see his family in Miami one last time, and she agrees to drive him there, hoping that she can trigger his memories of the time they had spent together as dance partners and remember her. This 1995 film, from Ryu Murakami, the director of "Tokyo Decadence," was produced by Roger Corman, which surprised me because this movie is pretty far from his standard exploitative type of film. "Because of You" is an emotional film, surprisingly show given the unusual combination of elements. Or perhaps that is why it works so well, with Kyoko's memories of dancing with Jose contrasted with his debilitating disease. It is also one of the most touching "off-beat friendship" films I have seen in quite a while. If you can find this at your local video store, please check it out.

Rating:
Summary: great feel good movie
Review: I agree with the other persons review I just want to add some more information about the last ten minutes of this movie.
This movie contains live performances by Zenaida Armenteros con Septet Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro. A founding member of the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba. Zenaida has sung in the most prestigious clubs in Havana, such as the Tropicana,and appeared as a singer in two other hard to get films, Yambao and Mulata. Zenaida's performance also includes a Master level Salsa Casino dance performance. Ng La Banda also perform in the last minutes.
Because of you may be the only chance most will ever have of
seeing Zenaida perform.
I feel this live performance by Zenaida is worth the price of this movie on it's own for someone interested in a "Salsa" master performer.

Rating:
Summary: The last 10 minutes is worth the value of the movie!
Review: I won't recap the essence of the movie as it has been done by the previous reviewers. However, I must emphasize the dance scene with the elderly couple as being one of the best that I ever seen in any movie. The gentleman must be all of 80 years old, yet the strength in his legs defies Western logic.

Most 14 year olds could not pull those moves off. You simply MUST see this dance scene! I will be purchasing the movie with this scene in mind.

Rating:
Summary: The last 10 minutes is worth the value of the movie!
Review: I won't recap the essence of the movie as it has been done by the previous reviewers. However, I must emphasize the dance scene with the elderly couple as being one of the best that I ever seen in any movie. The gentleman must be all of 80 years old, yet the strength in his legs defies Western logic.

Most 14 year olds could not pull those moves off. You simply MUST see this dance scene! I will be purchasing the movie with this scene in mind.