La Bamba
The life of rock ‘n’ roll legend Richie Valens bursts across the screen in this celebrated, music-filled movie with star-making performances by Lou Diamond Phillips as Richie and Esai Morales as his half-brother, Bob.
La Bamba depicts the 17-year-old Mexican-American's rocket rise to fame, from field laborer to rock star with a string of hit singles and a date with destiny. Fueled by Valens' hit songs performed by the Grammy®-winning Los Lobos as well as classic '50s tunes, La Bamba recreates the thrilling early days of rock and pays homage to the enduring legacy of a remarkable talent whose music crossed all borders.
Critic Reviews:
- " An energetic picture filled with light and music, and Lou Diamond Phillips is an easygoing charismatic presence as Ritchie Valens, so sweet-hearted he's almost angelic. " – Christopher Lloyd
- " Valdez's simple-yet-elegant visual style is on target and his script uses the elements of Valens' life to the fullest, almost creating an underlying poetic rhythm to the film. " – Juan Carlos Coto
- " Melodrama is inherently a broad genre – one that projects inner psychological conflicts onto towering outside forces – and in the overall thrust of his film, Valdez excels in conveying a world dominated by a gigantic, impersonal power. " – Dave Kehr