Piñero (2001)

"Piñero" tells the story of the explosive life of a Latino icon, the poet-playwright-actor Miguel Piñero, whose urban poetry is recognized as a pre-cursor to rap and hip-hop. After doing ... See full summary »

Director:

Leon Ichaso

Writer:

Leon Ichaso

Stars:

Benjamin Bratt, Giancarlo Esposito, Talisa Soto

6 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benjamin Bratt	...	Miguel Piñero
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Miguel Algarin
Talisa Soto	...	Sugar
Nelson Vasquez	...	Tito Goya
Michael Wright	...	Edgar Bowser
Michael Irby	...	Reinaldo Povod
Rita Moreno	...	Miguel's Mother
Jaime Sánchez	...	Miguel's Father (as Jamier Sanchez)
Rome Neal	...	Jake
Mandy Patinkin	...	Joseph Papp
Oscar A. Colon	...	Bodega Man (as Oscar Colon)
Miriam Cruz	...	Bodega Woman
Luis Caballero	...	Shooting Gallery Man
Sophia Domoulin	...	Shooting Gallery Woman
Robert Klein	...	Doctor

Storyline

"Piñero" tells the story of the explosive life of a Latino icon, the poet-playwright-actor Miguel Piñero, whose urban poetry is recognized as a pre-cursor to rap and hip-hop. After doing time in hard-core Sing-Sing for petty thefts and drug dealing, Piñero's prison experiences developed into the 1974 Tony-nominated play Short Eyes. The resulting notoriety and fame was too much for the Latino bad-boy genius who retreated to the darker corners of New York City.

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Plot Keywords:

miguel piñero | drugs | sing sing | latino | new york city | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use, strong language and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax Films [us] The film,cast, trailer

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Pinero

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$21,750 (USA) (14 December 2001)

Gross:

$1,418,314 (USA) (28 February 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Burnside Entertainment, GreeneStreet Films, Lower East Side Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 94 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References To Tell the Truth (1956)

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Soundtracks

"Puerto Rico"
Written by Eddie Palmieri and Ismael Quintana
Published by Ying Yang Music
Administered by Memory Lane Music Corp. (BMI)
Performed by Ismael Quintana and Eddie Palmieri
Courtesy of Musical Productions, Inc.

User Reviews

His essence was beyond his worldly capabilities and he suffered for it.

I think Pinero (the film) is a credit to the filmmaker and a testament to Pinero himself. I did not know of him before I saw the film but was quickly drawn in to the world of a man suffering from the collective guilt of humanity. He is depicted as being every kind of being one could be, most importantly a truthful one. From this I believe he died. Not from drug use but by using himself as an example, with the results being painful enough for him to go to drugs in the first place. He had extreme vision and let people see it through sincere eyes, the trademark of a great artist. I see some reviews where people think the film goes off in all directions without covering the heart of who Pinero was. To this I do not agree. I think the film leaves a lot to the imagination while covering his vast personality (an excellent technique to keep the audience thinking). A mix between who he was, and what he wanted. Perfect for someone to be introduced to for the first time. Which is what I think Leon Ichase was trying to do, introduce Pinero to me. Thanks Leon. One of my favorite and most inspirational films.