Contadora Is for Lovers

Contadora is for lovers, NOT for movie goers. This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The story makes no sense; the lighting was too harsh at times, but looked like it was lit by a flashlight at other times; the sound quality was so poor, I think the microphone was in the ocean while the actors were talking; and the camera work was so jumpy! It looked like everything was done in one take - if an actor stumbled on a line, or something went wrong, why wasn't that scene re-shot? How did that end up in the final movie? However, it was a great performance by Tony Sago. Too bad he wasn't in a better film. You really can't blame the actors when they clearly had nothing to work with.

Now and then we see early films by a well-trained and well-educated writer/director and enjoy the journey from amateur to professional status. Jorge Ameer has been actively and consistently making films since 2000 (with an earlier 1994 work) and it is therefore disappointing that he has not been able to garner financial backing to step beyond the low budget status that grounds his latest feature CANTADORA IS FOR LOVERS. Why is that happening? For starters Ameer needs to assign the writing of his screenplays to others, find a competent cinematographer with the right equipment to step beyond the video state, and spend time with his actors in rehearsal and polish before the film is committed to the can. This particular film demonstrates all of those flaws. The story - an engaged couple Mike (Vincent De Paul) and Maria (Christina Antelo) arrive on the off-Panama island of Cantadora where they are warmly received by host Gabriel (Tony Sago) - has a good setup, but very quickly turns into an impractical love triangle with the bifurcated aspects of each character skipped over so quickly that the progress of the interrelationships just falls flat. Gabriel is gay and manages to swoop Mike off for a hike on the island Gabriel 'knows like the back of his hand' only to 'get lost' and spend the night on the beach where some very rusty and insensitive attempts to show attraction and rejection are shown. Barely questioning the previous night's events Maria works back into the vacation and touches of ambiguity fizzle like water on hot rocks. It seems Ameer wants to explore bisexuality but just doesn't understand the conflicts well enough to place words in the mouths of his actors.

Each of the actors is attractive and at the beginning of the film there is hope that they can also act. But the script and the filming and direction prevent this little travelogue crew from sinking with the sunset. Maybe next time....Grady Harp

Definitely enjoyed this film! So many twists involved - makes you want to be in the film and join the cast! Vincent's performance felt real and refreshing. What a beautiful man - inside and out! Shows that he cares about his work and the same time one can see that he truly enjoys acting. Definitely picked the right man for the part! I can relate to this film as I had similar experiences. We all have these bisexual tendencies and or had caught up with it it one time in our life, right? I liked how the film gave historical facts about Contadora - definitely gave a light to the name of the film. Thanks for the entire cast, especially Vincent's performance for keeping my afternoon entertained! Is there a part two coming soon?

Definitely entertaining and worth watching. The acting was on the lean side, but all in all, the film did have its moments. Unlike many of the reviews I've read here, I'm in no way related to the director, but I did like this film. I did not even know there was a place called Contadora, much less it be an island off the coast of Panama. I found the storyline to be original, fresh and well developed. This story retold with a large budget and stars would make a terrific remake. I did like the scenery, locales and dialogue. The DVD extras include a special of the filmmakers next project "House of Adam". It looked interesting and will look out for it when it's released.

Rather enjoyed "Contadora is for Lovers". The cast worked very well together!! It had the feeling of "Blue Lagoon" and "Summer Lovers". The film worked for me. I felt for each one of the characters. I would have like to have seen more of Gabriel, Mike, and Helen partying on the island. I think that they are a fun bunch. The island and the place they stayed looked really nice... Is that a real hotel??? Overall it was a moving story. Very good performances by the actors. It was visually enjoyable to watch!!! Also Gabriel's boss was very concerned about him. She portrayed her character with great sincerity!! She was like a mentor and friend that help him with his decisions. I enjoyed her performance!!! Overall a great movie!!