Customer Reviews

Yellow

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Actress Roselyn Sanchez (best known as FBI agent Elena Delgado on "Without a Trace"), began her career as a dancer, and as the producer/star of "Yellow", her acting and dancing skills lifts a somewhat routine plotline into an entertaining celebration of a multi-talented performer.

Daughter of an invalid ex-dancer/teacher, young Amaryllis Campos (Sanchez) has had to curtail a promising dancing career to support her parents and drug-dealing boyfriend as a pizza delivery girl in San Juan. When her father commits suicide, she takes a friend's advice and moves to New York City, where she befriends a mentally-ill poet (Bill Duke, who is excellent), and ends up becoming a stripper, until she can break into the 'legitimate' dance world. As she waits for her break, a patron (D.B. Sweeney) falls for her...but will she sacrifice her dream, yet again, to move to Australia with him?

If this sounds like soap opera, it is, but Sanchez's intensity and likable persona keeps things interesting, if reminiscent of "Flashdance" and "Striptease". Unlike the Demi Moore film, however, titillation is not the major goal of "Yellow"; there is surprisingly little nudity (Sanchez only has one very brief nude scene, early in the film); what the film focuses on is her discipline and skill as a dancer, which is considerable!

The major pluses of the film (besides her dancing) are some truly beautiful views of Puerto Rico (which far outshines NYC in the film), and Duke's shaded performance, in support. Best of all, the DVD offers many deleted and longer versions of scenes, and a terrific interview with Sanchez, who discusses her long effort to bring "Yellow" to the screen.

"Yellow" is certainly no classic, but if you enjoy dancing, or are a Roselyn Sanchez fan, you will be pleased!

The movie is about a woman, Amaryllis, whose dream is to become a professional ballet dancer, like her father was. But, she lives in a poor neighborhood in PR and once certain events take place (I won't give the movie away), she moves to the US to try to follow her dream. Instead, she ends up becoming a stripper and starts dating one of the customers of the strip club. She also meets a neighbor, who was a former university poetry professor, and who now is quite crazy. The movie was too disjointed and full of pointless characters (what is the purpose of the neighbor?!). The script was weak, the dialogue did not make sense and neither did the plot sequence. The plot did not present an opportunity for the characters to grow and somehow they did! This is one of those movies that an actor will regret having made.

I like Roselyn Sanchez, and I know she is a better actress that what she showed in this movie. I hope she chooses the next movie better.

Might be because of this beautiful Latina that has now giving you a ticket for going through this red light. I fairly enjoy this film and I can see why this movie can be overlook by the masses. Beside this movie being too predictable it was not very creative and only shows Roselyn's body as a pick up for the movie. Honestly it could have been a lot better but I don't blame the actors I blame the director.......... and the story. Roselyn is much more then this and should of pick up a better movies instead of the money offer to her. Can't say much about this film but here it goes. The follow-up to his feature debut, director Alfred De Villa's Yellow is drama starring Roselyn Sanchez as Amaryllis, an aspiring dancer trying to make it in New York City. After her father unexpectedly commits suicide, Amaryllis leaves her native Puerto Rico for the Big Apple with dreams of stardom. Naturally, she meets more than a little adversity and soon finds herself working as a stripper to make ends meet. But with a cadre of supportive new friends and ample moxie, she just might beat the odds.

Yellow was intended to show off its star and producer, Roselyn Sanchez, specifically her looks, dancing and acting ability. As for her looks, Sanchez worked very hard toning up for the role, and that part worked. She did look good, what we could see of her. But the way to show that would have been tasteful nudity in good light. Both nude scenes are dark. Strike one. None of the dancing scenes were long enough to judge her ability, and she was shot from the waist up during many of them. Strike two. As for her acting, she failed to show any dynamic range at all in what should have been a very emotional role. Strike three.

The treatment (described above) is tired, but workable. So why didn't it work? First of all, major plot points and entire sub-plots were removed from the film, stranding some characters, and not explaining the actions of others. Second, the cutting included way too many jump cuts, music video style. Third, the curve of excitement was missing, just as Sanchez' dynamic range was absent. There was nothing wrong with the cinematography, but the editing was dreadful and I'm sorry to say that this film was not a GO.

YELLOW may be fairly easy to dismiss as a soap opera story of little girl makes good despite a troubling journey, but the presence of Roselyn Sanchez is reason enough to see this little art film, She has what it takes to make a film magic, she acts well, dances well, and creates a credible persona from a rather superficial script.

Based on a story by Nacoma Whobrey about the gifted daughter of a once famous male ballet dancer who leaves her native Puerto Rico in the grief of her father/tutor's death to find a better life in New York - the city where her father found fame. Amaryllis Campos (Roselyn Sanchez) worshiped her famous father (Jaime Tirelli), learned ballet under his tutelage, then grew up in a home after her father's leg crushing accident, with a mother (Sully Diaz) and a live-in druggie boyfriend Angelo (Manny Perez), supporting her helpless family by delivering pizzas. When her life falls apart one person befriends her - Hilde (Nancy Millan) - and provides her money to move to New York and a cousin with whom to live.

Once in new York Amaryllis finds the cousin's apartment occupied by a sweet old poet Miles Emory (Bill Duke) who allows her to stay. Finding work proves difficult until she signs on as a pole dancer in a sleazy nightclub. There she meets an emotionally bruised physician (D.B. Sweeney) who befriends her and who with the help of her new found friends finally makes her way back to the legitimate stage.

Yes, the story has been done before, but it is the pacing of director Alfredo De Villa that keeps the film pulsatile, and the shimmering screen presence of Roselyn Sanchez that makes this little film worth watching. Story 3, Performance by Sanchez 5. In Spanish and English with subtitles. The additional features on the DVD are even more interesting than the script! Grady Harp, August 07

This movie was disappointing. There was way too much focus on Miles, though I know it was to show the kind person Yellow was.

D B Sweeney, the reason I bought the movie, was good but his part was too small and at very end.

I don't recommend it unless you are a fan of Sanchez which I am not.

I loved Roselyn Sachez for her acting in "Without A Trace". So when I heard that she was the main star in this movie, I just had to see it. She is so incredible in this movie. Her dancing is so sexy and inspiring. I could watch her dance and never get bored.

Roselyn Sanchez stars in her sexiest movie ever. Her character has a similar background as she did in real life. She emigrates to New York from Puerto Rico in order to reach her goal: dancing. Throughout the movie, she goes through certain issues, doubt, persistence, and of course a decision between choosing her dream goal or following her new boyfriend (D.B. Sweeney) who is an international doctor to Australia.

This is a story about a young woman (Roselyn Sanchez) who moves from her native Puerto Rico to the Big Apple in hopes of becoming a dancer. She was trained in ballet by her late father & wants to preserve his heritage by becoming a great dancer in her own right.

Along the way, however, reality sets in. She needs to do something to support herself and she's unable to secure a job that pays more than minimum wage. She lucks out by running into a friend (Billy Duke) who gives her a place to stay & acts somewhat like a father figure. However, the ways in which he can help her are limited.

Eventually, when she hits rock-bottom, she is forced to consider being a stripper so that she can continue to pursue her dream of being a real professional dancer. Now, at this point many will be inclined to say that a ballet dancer being a stripper would be like a concert pianist being relegated to playing the piano for a truck stop. Well, yes & no. The problem with this sort of analogy is that I've seen some exotic dancers in my time who were VERY impressive acrobats.

In spite of the plot line, there is surprisingly little nudity in this film; we get just a few quick flashes of Sanchez in the buff. For me, that was quite disappointing. Still, as a movie it's far, far superior to other stripper movies such as Striptease and Dancing at the Blue Iguana. Somewhat surprisingly, the story doesn't even really portray exotic dancing as a sordid lifestyle. In fact, the other strippers and even the nice-guy manager support Sanchez' character in her quest for greater things.

If you are at all into dancing, this film is a must. Sanchez is a phenomonal dancer and she does several different styles in the film, from ballet to jazz dancing to pole dancing. In spite of its content it is, as another reviewer remarked, a "feel good" kind of story. Ultimately, it's not about working from being a stripper to a bona-fide dancer so much as it is about never letting go of your dreams.

I really enjoyed 'Yellow' it has a great story line, super soundtrack, and a very interesting cast of characters!

Alright it's not awful, but it's not likely to make my collection either. It's textbook cliche. Poor girl with crappy life in poor place (In this case Puerto Rico) escapes to find better life in the big city of NYC and to fulfill lost dream of her father. Struggles to find hope by working as a stripper hoping to make it big on Broadway some day, but meets nice rich doctor guy and fall's in love; however he is moving overseas and wants her to come just as she is getting her first big break. (What are the odds? ... 1:1?) Faced with the choice of either choosing the love of her man or the love of her passion of dance, she must decide. What will she do?

It's an tired story line that has been done to death in one way or another 100's of times before. The acting is fair at best, there are not awards in anyones future from this film. The is Roselyn Sanchez first attempt at writing and producing, likely to be one of her last too. She's a pretty women, but she's just not lead quality and while she can dance, Grace Kelly she's not, but few are. The supporting case was fair albeit at times they seemed to be walking through their scenes. Bill Duke who plays Miles Emory is by far the shining light here in the acting department as he played a washed up poetry professor now working in a plebeian job, but tries to hold on to his passion as well and acts as the wise old fool who guide the now lost way of Amaryllis Campos (Roselyn Sanchez). There are a few lose ends that don't seem to tie in anywhere else, but overall there is a story and a plot, even if it is predictable.

The DVD is a little skimpy on extras only deleted scenes and "Roselyn Sanchez on Yellow" a short promo for the film. Oh don't forget the previews, no DVD is complete without an hours worth of previews. Sound quality is ok, a little soft at times and only comes in 2.1 stereo.

Watch it if you want to, but don't feel like you are missing a lot if you don't see it. It's 'ok' at best and for that it gets 2 stars. I'd give it 2.5 if it was an option and 3 stars would be to mislead you. I don't think you'll feel ripped off or wanting your 90 minutes back at the end, but you not going to feel like you hit the movie lotto either (or a scratch off for that matter.) It's more of an 'Ok, I've seen it, now what?'