Piñero

I think Pinero (the film) is a credit to the filmmaker and a testament to Pinero himself. I did not know of him before I saw the film but was quickly drawn in to the world of a man suffering from the collective guilt of humanity. He is depicted as being every kind of being one could be, most importantly a truthful one. From this I believe he died. Not from drug use but by using himself as an example, with the results being painful enough for him to go to drugs in the first place. He had extreme vision and let people see it through sincere eyes, the trademark of a great artist. I see some reviews where people think the film goes off in all directions without covering the heart of who Pinero was. To this I do not agree. I think the film leaves a lot to the imagination while covering his vast personality (an excellent technique to keep the audience thinking). A mix between who he was, and what he wanted. Perfect for someone to be introduced to for the first time. Which is what I think Leon Ichase was trying to do, introduce Pinero to me. Thanks Leon. One of my favorite and most inspirational films.

Pinero definitely makes it to my top five movies of the year 2001. It's one of the best movies I have seen. I completely dived into the story of this multifaceted artist who lived his live with drugs and poems, success and the streets of the Lower East Side.

Benjamin Bratt gives an astonishing performance - far off the "nice" characters he used to play. I completely bought into him being Pinero. I did not for one second think about him as Benjamin Bratt - he is Pinero with all his might.

PINERO (2001) *** Benjamin Bratt, Giancarlo Esposito, Mandy Patinkin, Talisa Soto, Michael Wright, Rita Moreno, Robert Klein, Fisher Stevens (cameo). Bratt shines as fiery Puerto Rican poet/artist/addict Miguel Pinero, whose stints behind bars led to a second life as a gadfly controversial Beat poet who became the underground artiste scene's cause celebre until his untimely yet doomed death at the age of forty to cirrhosis of the liver. (Dir: Leon Ichaso)

Benjamin Bratt shows great courage playing Puerto Rican poet Miguel Piñero with all the dark aspects of his character but managed to convince me with his brighter side as well. The movie is itself a piece of art, almost a poem, following the life of Piñero at New York's Lower East Side during the seventies and eighties. Piñero's poetry and writing made him famous - his plays were commercially successful and he wrote and acted for "Miami Vice" - and was essential for the rise of the "Nuyorican" culture. The cast is fabulous all the way, especially Giancarlo Esposito and Rita Moreno come across as tremendously warm hearted best friend and mother who won't give up on Miguel despite his difficult personality and way of life. The film was entirely shot in digital video, giving it a street style appearance and a great touch of reality. The time structure is challenging and the use of both black&white and color make it a visual treat. A MUST SEE and my favorite for next year's best actor academy award.

Most movie-going audiences won't know who or what "Pinero" is. "Pinero" is the story of Puerto Rican-born icon Miguel Pinero, who came to fame in the 70s with his cutting edge poetry that many believe was the roots for rap and spoken word. That being said, the film is less of a biopic and more of a cut and paste story that flip-flops back and forth between different stages of the poet's life. Wonderfully portrayed by Benjamin Bratt ("Miss Congeniality"), he seems to have lived this character while filming. It may be hard for most to relate to his hard lifestyle but even with all of his faults and troubles, the character is likeable. Many people might liken Pinero to John Leguizamo, who happens to be a fan and an executive producer of the film. Many of the scenes are very intense, involving strong language, drug use, sexual content, and ideas that may shock some viewers. This is not a film for the kiddies, so don't bother bringing them. It's a very sad story, but very interesting at the same time. Director Leon Ichaso ("Hendrix") does a great job with the direction, including many standout flashback sequences. This might throw some viewers off and come across as "choppy", but really captures an artistic feel that fits the character. This promises to be one of the better films of the year and Bratt's performance deserves at least a nomination for Best Actor. As long as this sounds interesting to you, go and check this one out if you can find it somewhere. If you are offended easily, it might be best to sit this one out. Art house film lovers will eat this one up!