La Bamba (1987) Review

 

La Bamba (1987)

After Animal House & American Graffiti, I’ve been in the mood for more movies set in that era, not just aesthetically, but also music wise. And what better than follow it up with the musical biopic, La Bamba.

Set in the last few years of his extremely short life, the film follows Ritchie Valens’ rise to musical stardom as a teenager in the late 50s.

Now, complete historical inaccuracies aside, this is a really enjoyable and catchy film. Like every other musical biopic, the music is what drives this film at it’s core, using the impressive catalog of music put out before Valens’ death. Next to that is the family themes that are present from the start, that focus on the dysfunction between his brother Bob, sister-in-law Rosie, and his mother Connie. Because while Ritchie is away becoming something, Bob has trouble dealing with the fact that he isn’t. Along with those relationships is the ever changing, wildly confusing relationship Ritchie has with his high school sweetheart Donna. It makes for interesting drama in between all of the fantastic music that is interlaced within this film. As I've stated in the other reviews for 60s set films, La Bamba makes you yearn for a simpler time of cool clothes, rock n roll, and the innocence of America after World War 2 but before Vietnam.

It goes without saying, in his debut performance in a feature film, Lou Diamond Phillips does fantastic as Ritchie Valens. He brings a youthful and electric energy to every scene he’s in, much like his real life counterpart. Who really steals the show though is Esai Morales as Bob. He brings a conflicted energy to the film, where he obviously loves his brother, but resents him for his fame. He’s a flawed character that takes too long to realize his mistakes. It’s saddening considering the fate the befalls Valens.

What drew me to this film from such an early age and even now, was the tragic end to rock legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, that, compared to other biopics, this film captures their end in a heartbreaking end that happened off camera and is broken to the viewer through a radio broadcast that captures the emotions of Donna and his family (including Esai's amazing "Ritchie!!!!" reaction).

6.2/10