The film begins in 1950s Cuba, where brothers “Cesar” (Armand Assante) and “Nestor” (Antonio Banderas), gifted musicians, decide to relocate to New York City after a frightening incident. Hoping for better opportunities and increased safety, they bring their energetic Latin music and dance style, which quickly proves popular. Cesar finds himself drawn to “Lanna,” a cigarette vendor (Cathy Lake), while Nestor marries “Delores” (Maruschka Detmers) and starts a family—things initially appear promising. However, their rising success attracts the attention of local crime boss “Perez” (Roscoe Lee Browne), who wants them involved in his operations, but they resist. As work becomes increasingly difficult to secure, the brothers and their band face challenging and potentially perilous decisions. The plot progresses at a reasonable pace, and both lead actors perform with assurance despite having limited proficiency in English and Spanish. Ultimately, the film’s strength lies in its music; those who appreciate heartfelt tunes infused with a sensual rhythm will find these arrangements appealing. Banderas and Assante are both decent singers—Banderas is particularly good when performing songs in his native language—and ”Beautiful Maria Of My Soul” is staged effectively in a traditional, theatrical manner. The characters lack depth, and the film leans heavily on its stylish production design, resulting in a somewhat superficial experience. A pleasant surprise is Desi Arnaz Jr.’s cameo appearance as his father, which evokes a wave of acoustic nostalgia.

Source on TMDB