Movie Reviews : ‘Salsa’ Cuts Up Its Dancing but the Cast Impresses

“Salsa” (citywide) just might be the hottest, dirtiest dancing of the season, but we’ll never know. The ads promise some flashy footwork, but the camera framing stubbornly insists on cutting its subjects off at the knees. Instead of sweep and sass, we get wall-to-wall musical coverage of that infectious Latin beat played at ear-splitting levels.

The film is a sketch rather than fully realized vision--an incomplete blueprint. When the film makers have nothing novel to offer (which is often) they fall back on the hoariest plot conventions. Most of the time they ape such warhorses as “West Side Story” and “Saturday Night Fever,” painfully reminding us of the differences between a successful musical and one whose routines are flat-footed.

Rico (Robby Rosa) is a dancin’ fool of a mechanic who’s gearing up for the annual Puerto Rican festival where the couple with the best moves become the king and queen of salsa. But his partner and girlfriend, Vicki (Angela Alvarado), can’t cut a rug with the best of them. So, Rico lets ambition blind his love and teams with Luna (Miranda Garrison), the ruthless club owner who wants the salsa crown.

Under ordinary circumstances this is enough plot for any musical. Unfortunately, there are several other diversions. One involves the blossoming love between Rico’s sister and best friend--a relationship he can’t abide. Still, this and the other narrative threads tie together happily in the dizzying contest finale.

Choreographer Kenny Ortega, who also staged “Dirty Dancing,” could easily claim self-defense in killing director Boaz Davidson. Certainly Davidson’s penchant for cutting away from the dancers to close-ups of elbows murders whatever artistry Ortega had evolved.

Amazingly, “Salsa’s” (MPAA-rated: PG) cast overcome all to impress us with the confidence of gifted dancers. Garrison also gets the opportunity to infuse some life into the silliness by portraying her club hostess as a barrio Evita Peron. Otherwise, this tangle with the tango should shuffle off someplace and hide its feet in shame.