In the early 1970s, Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval (Andy Garcia) is torn between his own musical dreams and the dreams of his wife, Marianela (Mía Maestro), a fervent supporter of the ideals of the Castro revolution. Also starring Charles S. Dutton as Dizzy Gillespie and José Zúñiga as Paquito D'Rivera, this gripping jazz biopic is at once a detailed portrait of a musician and a stinging critique
Acting
Andy Garcia channels actual trumpet chops and volcanic restraint.
Score
Sandoval's own playing—no fake-fingering nonsense here.
Direction
Sargent builds dread in bureaucratic waiting rooms like thrillers do chase scenes.
Director
Joseph Sargent
Andy Garcia
Arturo Sandoval
Mía Maestro
Marianela
Gloria Estefan
Emilia
David Paymer
Embassy interviewer
Charles S. Dutton
Dizzy Gillespie
Tomas Milian
Sosa
Freddy Rodríguez
Leonel Sandoval
José Zúñiga
Paquito D'Rivera
Fernanda Andrade
Paloma
Steven Bauer
Angel
Fionnula Flanagan
Sally Lewis
Michael O'Hagan
Johnny Lewis
Miriam Colon
Cirita Sandoval
Ruben Rabasa
Cheo
Arturo Sandoval
Funcionario
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sandoval himself performed all trumpet solos and coached Garcia for months—Garcia actually learned to play convincingly.
The film was shot in Toronto standing in for Havana because Sandoval himself was banned from Cuba until 1995.
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