Feel the Noise

NEW YORK (CNS) -- If only the road to success were as smooth in real life as it seems to be in "Feel the Noise" (TriStar), the world would be a much nicer place. This pleasant, if naive, musical offering features main characters who sing, dance and -- in between -- make all the right connections.

Rob (Omarion Grandberry) is an aspiring rapper in Harlem who's been raised by his dedicated single mother, Tanya (Kellita Smith). After attempting to steal the wrong person's hubcaps in order to enter a music contest, however, he is forced to flee to Puerto Rico. There he moves in with the father he has never known, Roberto (Giancarlo Esposito), his father's wife, Marivi (Rosa Arredando), and his stepbrother, Javi (Victor Rasuk). The last named, it turns out, also has an interest in music, particularly reggaeton, a hybrid of reggae, hip-hop and salsa. He introduces Rob to the genre, and the two swiftly become musical partners. Rob soon acquires a muse as well. When he meets local dancer C.C. (Zulay Henao), the sparks fly, and it's pretty much love at first sight for them both. As it happens, C.C. also has amazing connections. For one thing, she just happens to have friends who own a recording studio the boys could use. She also manages to meet -- and impress -- a big-time New York music producer, Jeffrey Skylar (James McCaffrey). He seems to require remarkably little convincing to set all three young people on their paths to stardom. There are a few further complications: artistic differences, a temporary breakup between Rob and C.C., etc. But, after all, the plot is hardly the point. Director Alejandro Chomski's film is mostly a showcase for the cast's singing and dancing (some of the latter objectionably suggestive). But fans of world music in general, and of reggaeton in particular, will no doubt enjoy what they hear. Those who recall "The Harder They Come," the stark Jimmy Cliff film from 1973 that portrayed slum life in Jamaica, and that also helped to export reggae music beyond that island's shores, may come to "Feel the Noise" expecting something similar. It's like an "Intro to Reggaeton" course, but without the surprise quizzes. The film contains sexual activity without nudity, drug use, skimpy clothing, suggestive dancing, one use of the f-word, two uses of the n-word, and occasional crass and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops