Selena

'Selena' tells the fascinating story of the late Selena Quintanilla, the first famous female tejano singer. In her short life, with the support of her parents and husband, the vivacious young Selena lived the dream of every girl. Nava does a fine job of telling the story. He shows us how happy Selena was with her life (even though there were ups and downs) and she lived it to the fullest. In her short 23 years she achieved what would take a lifetime for some. This was a life that wasn't a waste because Selena knew hot to live life.

But the best thing about 'Selena' is Jennifer Lopez. Those were the days when Lopez acted her heart out on screen as has also been apparent in 'Out of Sight' and 'Blood and Wine'. Not only that, but Lopez looks stunning. Many prefer the way she looks today but in 'Selena' there's an innocence and honesty about her beauty and this coupled with her natural and spirited performance is a delight to watch. The supporting cast that includes Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda and Constance Marie are all very good too.

I loved the way the soundtrack was used in the film and it brings a lot of energy to the story. The cinematography is quite good but I did not like the 3 split screen.

Even though we know the tragic fate of Selena, this film reminds us that it's more important to live a big life than a long life. Make full use of what you have and take your chance. That's what Selena did. She was loved by her friends and family and won the hearts of millions. Strongly recommended.

I don't know much about the real Selena, so I don't know how much of the movie was fact and what was fiction. But even if this movie wasn't based on a real singing superstar, it would have been great to watch anyway.

Jennifer Lopez is stunning in every way as Selena. She hits all the right chords as a teenager, a woman in love, a dutiful daughter and sister, and a singer adored by legions of fans. And she loved everyone of them right back. The actors playing her family are all great, too (especially her father). Ms. Lopez also has a sweet, natural chemistry with Jon Seda as Chris. Their relationship is so real because they were friends first...friends who fell in love.

Ms. Lopez also does a great job lip-synching Selena's songs, and the ending will bring tears to your eyes. A must see!

When the news reported that Selena Quintanilla was murdered, I wondered, "who was Selena?" The obituary mini-biographies told me almost nothing about her, except that she was fantastically popular as a Tejano singer.

The movie was made with the Quintanilla family's backing, so it's no surprise that it portrays Selena very favorably. But there's no hint of scandal in anything I've read about her, and the movie is fairly hard on Abraham, her father, manager, and the movie's executive producer. Maybe she fully deserved the movie's praise.

The movie was centered on her childhood and rise to fame. Her murder was just the conclusion to her story. That was a good choice: Told as the story of a musician rising from obscure child star to Grammy winner, but staying close to her family and grateful to her fans, the movie is unusual and interesting. Had it been told as the story of a star betrayed by a trusted associate, or the story of a person shot dead by an estranged friend, it would have been unfortunately ordinary, and less interesting.

Jennifer Lopez was amazing. She always seems right as the dutiful daughter who also pays the family's bills with her talent. Even when she's willful, awareness of likely consequences shows in her face. She does a fine job lip-synching the musical pieces too. Finally, her physical resemblance to the real Selena is amazing.

The other Selena actress, Rebecca Lee Meza as young Selena, was also very impressive, except for occasional lip-synch lapses. She looks a lot like I'd expect Jennifer Lopez as Selena to look like at a younger age.

The movie worked as entertainment, and it worked as a sympathetic biography. I liked the Spanish language music a lot too.

Jennifer Lopez proved that she was a high-class actress with this true story of the Tejano Superstar whose life was cut short by a disgruntled employee. Lopez shines and Edward James Olmos is super (as usual) as her tough-nosed father. The rest of the cast is adequate, but the show is shared between Lopez and Olmos. The screenplay is a little sappy, but fine overall. Director Gregory Nava is always focused and this keeps the film interesting throughout. A fine film all the way. 4 stars out of 5.

This is a biopic of Selena Quintanilla-Perez (Jennifer Lopez). Back in 1961 Corpus Christi, Texas, Abraham Quintanilla faced racism from the whites on the one hand, and rejection from the Mexican community of their 'white' music on the other hand. He (Edward James Olmos) settles down in Lake Jackson, Texas raising a family. He starts a family band despite objections from wife Marcela (Constance Marie). Then he starts a restaurant and quits his job again against Marcela's wishes. He keeps pushing the kids especially young Selena even when the restaurant goes under. He's a true stage dad. She falls for hired guitarist Chris Perez (Jon Seda) and gets married in secret.

Jennifer Lopez comes in after 30 minutes. It's fine because the childhood story is actually good, and they've got the great Edward James Olmos holding it together. EJO is truly amazing. Jennifer Lopez shows that she has the acting chops. Writer/director Gregory Nava has made the standard biopic. It's sweet. The family drama is good. They don't push anything outrageous. The killing is relegated to the back and Yolanda Saldivar isn't explored that deeply.