Nude Celebs: Valerie McIntosh -

Sweet Latin music and an interesting look at the Cuban-American community in New York in the early 1950's highlight this 1992 drama. Although slow-paced, lovers of the music will thoroughly enjoy it.

Two Cuban brothers who had been playing the club circuit in Havana leave Cuba in 1952 when the younger loses his beloved to the powerful owner of a nightclub who intends to kill him.

In New York, they plan to take over the city's Latin music scene as the Mambo Kings. Of course, things don't go that smoothly.

The movie has an interesting bit involving the I Love Lucy TV show, with Desi Arnaz Jr. playing his father, who was known for bring Cuban musicians onto the show to perform. Another interesting piece of trivia is that Armand Assante, who played the older brother, spoke no Spanish, while Antonio Banderas, who played the younger brother, spoke no English at the time. Both men performed those lines phonetically.

The movie movies slowly and methodically, which may bore some, but the music is great and many will also enjoy the performance by Latin superstar Celia Cruz, who is now deceased. None of the nudity is gratuitous, but still adds a little spice. Not everyone's cup of tea, but a movie I enjoyed very much, especially because I remember the 50's, and they did a decent job of representing the period.