Sueno (2005)
By Michael Muniz
It happens to me a few times a year. People who know me (and realize how much I love movies) will suggest some random film, acting surprised that I’ve never heard of it. Some just leave it at a friendly recommendation, but others will go so far as to not let me leave their house until I have said DVD in hand. This was how Sueno came into my possession, so I already felt like a gun was being pointed at my head.
I just wish they had pulled the trigger!
Sueno stars John Leguizamo as a “young” kid, Antonio, who comes from Mexico to LA to fulfill his dream of becoming a rock star. That’s it…that’s the whole premise. I wish we had a more compelling protagonist with a fully constructed plot to invest in, but writer/director Renee Chabria likes to keep things simple, if not painfully predictable.
Along the way, Antonio (since this never happens in these types of movies) meets a girl and falls hard, inspires a former singer with broken dreams to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, and faces off against a popular local band in a winner-take-all talent show. Do I even need to hint how it all ends?
There are no surprises here. It plays more like a really poor Hallmark TV movie (then again, it was straight-to-DVD), and Leguizamo’s casting was a major misstep. He looks great for his age, but Sueno needed a younger actor in the lead role. His Fall-Out Boy hairdo was distracting, and it accomplished nothing more than making him seem like an older guy trying to look young and hip.
What works well? On a few positive notes, it’s always nice to see brown people on the screen. As a Mexican American, I have an appreciation for seeing film Latinos take center stage rather than being background players or portraying housekeepers. Also, it was interesting enough to keep me watching. I have a 20-minute rule that states a film will be turned off if it fails to engage me on some level during the first third of an hour. Just as Antonio dreamed of being a rock star, I kept hoping that the film would improve. By the end, at least one of us got what we wanted.
During Sueno’s running time, there are several impromptu musical numbers that fail to fit in. They feel forced, out of place, and are more annoying than anything else. They do improve near the end, but the concert footage seems to last longer than Woodstock.
Another inexplicable plot point is the animated “guide” in the form of a poster that adorns Antonio’s wall. It has a presence early on, but then it disappears for the third act. Maybe animation near the finale was out of budgetary reach, but why it was in there in the first place is beyond baffling.
And then there’s the case of Antonio’s love interest. Wanting to have a bit of fun, she decides to leave her father alone for just one night. Of course, that’s when he suffers a stroke. Give the girl a break! Moreover, give the audience a break. That only works in Frank Capra movies.
Elizabeth Pena also has a supporting role. She was a near Oscar candidate for John Sayles’s 1996 masterpiece Lone Star. Less than a decade later, she ends up in this cinematic train wreck. Her agent shouldn’t be fired, but rather marched before a firing squad.
Sueno is laughable and forgettable. It’s the kind of movie that may seem sweet to some viewers, but, for me, the weak storytelling robs it of any real merit. Its characters are uninspiring (and in a movie that tries to be inspirational, that’s a hell of a big problem), the plot is anemic, and there are too many moments that thwart any chance of elevating the movie to mediocrity.
Sueno plays more like a nightmare.
One Response to “Sueno”
This Sueno movie review is copyright 2009 Small World Marketing and Shane Rivers. This Sueno review should not be reprinted without the permission of the copyright holders.
This movie review of Sueno expresses the opinion of the author only. Other Sueno movie reviews are available online, and some of those might or might not express different opinions on the movie. Like those other Sueno movie reivews, this Sueno review is intended for the entertainment and education of the reader. This Sueno movie review is provided as is with no warranty or guarantee implied.
[...] more: Sueno Movie Review – Sueno Reviews Share and [...]