For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story

This is the true story of Arturo Sandoval, the fabulous jazz trumpet player, who defected to the United States to enjoy artistic freedom. It is a wonderful plot. I didn't sense any gross "artistic freedom" in the story. It seemed to ring true all the way through.

The plot is not complex and the direction is straightforward. It doesn't take a lot to keep up with the story, but it is a good way to pass the time. The soundtrack, played by Arturo Sandoval, is what makes this movie special.

Arturo Sandoval is one of the greatest jazz trumpeters ever, standing alongside the likes of Miles Davis, Louis Armstronmg and Arturo's great friend Dizzie Gillespie. This biopic tells of his struggles with the repressive government of his native Cuba, the internal politics of his family and of course his need to play great music.

Well acted, although there are no standard movie tricks and plot twists, just straight depiction of the people of Cuba of the time (early 80s) and the paranoia of the USA with anything Cuban.

The really outstanding aspect of the movie is the souindtrack - Arturo himself plays many of the songs, and is credited with scoring and producing many of the tracks used, as well as playing on them.

Watch the movie, buy the soundtrack CD.

This artistic drama unfolds a touching love story presented against a colorful visual backdrop set to vibrant music, featuring strong acting. Andy Garcia soulfully portrays the main character, Cuban jazz trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, and is executive producer as well. Garcia's (and Sandoval's) love for Cuba and passion for music (jazz) are evident throughout the story, which is predictible and told in flashbacks. The viewer senses the growing frustration of Sandoval at the conflict created by his need to freely express his love (music) which is increasingly blocked by the repressive political regime, without losing his wife and son. Sadly, he concludes that he must defect from Cuba. Mia Maestro beautifully and tenderly plays Mrs. Sandoval, whose emotional journey eventually leads her to realize she must follow her husband (and her heart) by agreeing to leave Cuba with him. Charles Dutton plays Dizzy Gillespie; Gloria Estefan also appears. The story is poignantly told, made more so because it is a biography (Sandoval was an advisor).

I saw this movie on HBO 3 times. It was very entertaining yet also very sad, showing many of us how an oppressive regime under a dictator can tear families apart, ban artistic creativity and force a man to flee his country. The team at HBO certainly scored a 10 with this one. I was able to sit down with my children and share a very poignent experince about the human condition and the importance of freedom and democracy. All of the cast were marvelous, and what more can you say about Andy Garcia this actor is truly gifted and outstanding, Ive seen Arturo Sandoval play and Andy captured his every nuance of musical genius, plus he showed us the artists soul and his heartbreaking choice of For Love of Country. Well done HBO and Andy Garcia, give us more of this type of compelling film making

Arturo Sandoval is one of the most phenomenal trumpet players the world has in existence today. The story of his love, his passion, and his music are all colorfully depicted in the film. As a musician and jazz connoisseur myself, I feel that Garcia's portrayal of the anguish Sandoval experienced under Castro's regime is excellent. As he reveals his motives for defection to the American ambassador, there is a sense of unspoken understanding as to the reasons that Sandoval decides to defect.

If you walk away from this movie without any emotion, you just didn't get it. Go out and listen to as much jazz as possible!