Piñero (2001) Reviews

I happened upon this movie by chance. Ihad never heard of Pinero.after buying the soundtrack, because one of my favorite songs was on it. I was curious about where it came from. All I can say is Bravo! Bravo. This movie made me laugh and cry. Mikey was such a talent and yet he succumbed to the demons that plague the poor of every city in the world, abuse, drugs, jail. Wanting to look more deeply into who this Miguel Pinero was,I rented the movie Short Eyes. On veiwing it, I remembered seeing it many years ago unaware of it's history. It truly desrved all of the awards it received as a play on Broadway. The story of Miguel Pinero has left an indelible mark on my heart and soul. He was such a contradiction in himself.Why did this movie not receive the kudos it so richly deserved? Ben Bratt was amazing in the title role. He should have been nominated for an Oscar. I recommend this movie especially to Hispanics who are unaware of the many talented men and women who share their heritage.
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PINERO has energy, movement & good work from Benjamin Bratt in the lead & almost everyone else in support. Most famous for his prison play "Short Eyes," Miguel Pinero also wrote poetry, some of which is recited here & may give you clues as to how things like "rap" & "def poetry jam" came into being. Pinero was a second-rate talent (that is probably generous); he was also & primarily a drug addict (& a criminal because of his habit). As anyone knows who has dealt with an addict, the addiction always comes first. Consequently, while watching the movie, you may find yourself wondering why you bothered (and why the filmmakers bothered to make it). The constant jumping from past to present, one character to another, black-&-white to color finally brings little cohesion or understanding. The movie to which this most closely compares is "Before Night Falls" (about Cuban artist Reinaldo Arenas); in every way, "Pinero" is the weak sister in terms of the artist, his art & the movie about them.
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