Mad About Mambo

2000 Comedy

An Irish boy obsessed with sports finds his life changing dramatically once he adds a little Salsa to his life in Mad About Mambo. Danny (William Ash) plays on the football team (called soccer in America) at the all-boys Catholic school he attends in Belfast. Danny's three best friends, who also play on the team, all have different ambitions for their lives. Mickey (Paul McLean) wants to be a fashion designer so he can get rich and date supermodels. Gary (Russell Smith) wants to become a magician so he can get rich and meet beautiful women (and presumably saw them in half). And Spike (Joe Rea) likes to beat people up, so he wants to become a mercenary and do it for a living. But Danny dreams of making soccer his life. The players Danny most admires are South Americans, such as Pele and Carlos Riga, who he feels have a special rhythm and flexibility. Wanting to add some of these qualities to his own game, Danny gets a brainstorm: he'll take mambo lessons, in the hope that dancing like a South American will help him play like a South American. To the surprise of himself and his friends, Danny turns out to be a pretty good Latin dancer and finds himself smitten with a pretty American student in his dance class, Lucy (Keri Russell). However, Lucy happens to have a boyfriend, who is a fierce competitor on one of Danny's rival teams. Executive producer Gabriel Byrne appears in a supporting role. more..

Director: John Forte

Starring: Keri Russell, William Ash,Brian Cox, Theo Fraser Steele, Julian Littman

Reviews

  • This genial little picture, which has been kicking around for more than a year, doesn't have a mean bone in its body.

    Maitland McDonagh - TV Guide

    26 April 2013

  • (Ash and Russell) generate just enough tension to keep the audience interested.

    John Hartl - Film.com

    26 April 2013

  • Everything about the movie is fine and dandy and dull.

    Robert Horton - Film.com

    26 April 2013

  • Lacking the kind of fire and energy that the best youth movies demand, leads Ash and Russell display skills better tuned to the small screen.

    Robert Koehler - Variety

    26 April 2013

Awards

No awards