Feel the Noise” debuted at movie theaters on October 5 and left viewers looking for more. Jennifer Lopez’s melodrama was like a bad night out at a reggaeton club. Kudos to Lopez for her attempts to salute her Puerto Rican roots in the film, with its layers of culture and sassy sound, but the music-driven plot lacks rhythm and substance.
The film starts off in modern-day New York City, following Rob (played by former B2K superstar Omarion Grandberry) as an aspiring rapper who is then sent to Puerto Rico after a troubling past dealing with the streets. There, he meets his estranged father (“Last Holiday” actor Giancarlo Esposito) and his half-brother Javi (Victor Rasuk) who both try to earn their way into Rob’s life. Because of Javi’s producing skills, the two team up with hopes of making it in the music industry.
Yet this film, which raked in three million in sales, looked on-screen as if the production team was struggling with a budget. Director Alejandro Chomski directed a few shots that lacked proper lighting and quality, while a few scenes unraveled with little continuity, making one wonder, what just happened? Characters seemed to pop out of nowhere, adding to the confusion. During a couple of scenes, no matter where the main character Rob ended up, his enemies would randomly appear from around the block. Creepy.
The romance between Rob and the local dance instructor Mimi (played by the beautiful Melonie Diaz) was one of the few motivations to continue watching. During the middle of the movie, Mimi’s dancing skills caught the eyes of a record producer, which then led to a chance for a demo in New York City for the two half-brothers. That led to more drama between living the hard-knock life and trying to make it in the big city. Other motivations were the steamy club scenes and the long concert-type performances by some of Puerto Rico’s famed reggaeton artists.
Overall, the hour and a half of hopelessly uneven performances earns one star. If you’re going to watch the movie, it’s possible to pass the time: just imagine being in a Tuesday-Thursday class. As for students surviving on a college budget, just save the eight dollars for a meal.
