I wanted to but couldn't!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Of course , enthusing about something to a fellow enthusiast is easier than to a newcomer. I'm an old enthusiast of tango music and tango dance , so my opinion could be a party-opinion. As to the scarce presence of dance in the film, I would say the following: Since 1984 we have been seeing tango-shows on the stages of Europe, USA, Asia and Australia. In these shows , in the foreground always there were dancers who presented a tango spectacularized ,choreographied , the so-called "tango for export". People thought that they were seeing the popular dance of Buenos Aires , nothing more wrong. When we , tango lovers, started to travel to Buenos Aires, realized that "social tango" (as they call it) is completely different. That's why, today,it was rightful to give an homage to the "Great Olds" of the tango music, exactly how "Buena Vista Social Club" made with the cuban "Great Olds". To the beauty of tango music is due the revival of tango dance in the world and we are dancing , in Europe, in USA , everywhere, to the recordings made in the thirties, forties and fifties in Bs As. Personally,it was touching to see how these musicians and singers, through their performances on the stage and through their words out of stage, transmitted their big passion and love for tango. In the movie there are also moments of danced tango with the possibility of seeing the different ways of dancing tango, more traditional, more embraced and also the so-called "tango nuevo". Finally, I would have never imagined that the idea for this film could occur to Gustavo Santaolalla ,who, in the last years, were producing ,through his group "Bajo Fondo Tango Club", what they called "tango electronico" and what he defined , last year on an interview to the "New York Times",as "contemporary music inspired to the urban atmospheres of Buenos Aires and Montevideo". Thank you, Gustavo.

CAFÉ DE LOS MAESTROS is not simply a live performance given by the veteran tango masters at the sumptuous Teatro Colón. It is an introduction to the once globally-popular form of music and dance, and an account of its impacts on the emotions of the remaining Argentinean tango stars of the golden age (the 1940s and 1950s). Contrasting Buenos Aries' past (through archive footage) and present (young couple kissing and tourists on the crowded streets), this film yields a sense of nostalgia. The ending in which a musician plays alone amid the vastness of the Teatro Colón, in stark contrast to the earlier festive boisterousness, makes the film a poignant one with similarities to Wenders' Buena Vista Social Club. The music gives us access to solitary artists' thoughts. The frequent jump-cuts between the musicians' on-stage performance and off-stage studio scenes, linked by the tango melody, paint a humorous and amiable picture of these extraordinary artists. But more context (the Montevideo part, and the dance element, is neglected) would help connect the fragmentary narrative of this music-driven documentary. This film, however, is entertaining and is for everyone, as those uninterested in the musicians will quickly be captivated by their legendary performance at the Teatro Colón. The transcending power of the concert itself makes this documentary a must-see. It is also a valuable cultural project initiated by the Argentinean-American Gustavo Santaolalla and touching testament to the resilience of the human spirit of which tango is an indispensable constituent. Vive la música!

CAFÉ DE LOS MAESTROS A musical journey, 8 August 2008-08-10 Author Gerry Brinkman, Vienna Austria The comments of Chris Docker cannot be understood as criticism but more as a complaint as he did not see what he expected to see. When Sartaolalla had included all that what Docker misses I estimate that the total film would have easily had a volume of 35 Gigabyte which of course would not have been a viable commercial project. I advise Docker to have a look at the DVD 30 Anos de Tango of the Sexteto Mayor which shows everything he wants to see included José Libertella in his full glory. Docker is disturbed by the comments made about the tango and life but the film showed an emotionality which brought tears to the eyes of every onlooker I showed the film to. The tango is a cultural treasure which should not be lost because it cannot be replaced by anything else. The bandoneon with its 142 tones is a difficult instrument to play but a tango tipica not played on a bandoneon looses all its characteristics. Astor Piazolla made a heroic effort to stop its decline in popularity by the introduction of the “Nuevo Tango” but failed to do so because the tango tipica cannot be replaced. It is the only dance I can think of where male or female can signal certain steps by touching knee or foot of the partner. It does not need to be danced as shown by show dancers, but with five or six basic steps you can dance an acceptable tango tipica which brings all the pleasures the dance can bring. In the internet, reputable firms offer holiday voyages to Buenos Aires which includes flight, accommodation, dancing lessons, round trips through the Boca and all historic places where the tango was borne. Sartaolalla in his unique way showed many scenes which were immediately understood by people who know the tango tipica and understood e.g. the scene showing the bandoneon players of the orchestra of d’Arrienzo (the cloth across the knees), the race track (the tango Por una Cabeza) etc. The film brought me an extreme deep feeling of admiration for the octogenarians who were still able to demonstrate their virtuosity, fervor and love for the tango tipica.

At the beginning of the film, we hear the oft-quoted saying, "You can't separate tango from life." Café de los Maestros traces the history of tango music through the memories of orchestra members. At the celebrated Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. We follow them with informal interviews around the time of a major performance. The film takes us through bars and cafes, recalling the story of tango from its birthplace, and also looking at the connection with Uruguay.There is plenty of fine music in the hour and a half of this rather haphazard movie. There are many quotations that will be referenced in tracing the lives of past maestros. But the appeal is limited. Even tango aficionados may not feel the need to drop everything.The main problems fall into two categories. Touted as a parallel to Buena Vista Social Club, it tries to 'immortalise' the musical heritage of Argentina the way Wim Wenders' movie does for Cuba. But whereas Wenders went street-level, to the humble players that embodied the culture in an instinctive way, Café de los Maestros goes to the top, the most prestigious and glamorous, including famed film composer, Gustavo Santaolalla. The effect is like going to Buenos Aires as a VIP tourist. You will go to the best bright lights and hear the highest paid performers. It probably won't mean much to you because you haven't grown up in that culture of bandoneons and the stories that form the emotional background of tango. As almost any intrepid visitor to the capital will know, the way to experience tango is to go to the streets, to La Boca, where tango is performed in the public square on Sunday afternoons, or in small intimate bars. Listening to a tango orchestra before getting a feel for tango is like experiencing Shostakovich as an introduction to classical music.The second problem for anyone watching this outside of the South American tango culture is that most Westerners relate to tango initially through the dance. With even a few tango lessons, you can imagine a dance interpretation of the passionate music. The dance gives you a window to connect more easily to the austere sounds. It also introduces you to the dramatic nature of the music, acted out in the dance. Café de los Maestros focuses on the music first, and dance as a poor second. Dance is not treated as primary or explained, although there are some pleasant shots of tango dancing and the old musicians do recall their own dancing days. Unlike Sally Potter's The Tango Lesson, which transports the viewer into the world of the tango dancer, Café de los Maestros is a film about music made by musicians.Café de los Maestros also fails in much of its execution. The mish-mash of stories are rambling and there is insufficient background information to tie them up. It is as if the persons reminiscing are talking to people already familiar with their tales (which might, however, be fine for an Argentinean audience). Buenos Aires is a city of stunning architecture, embodying much of the best of old Europe. Apart from a brief glimpse of the central street, this is underused. The outdoor photography, apart from one excellent scene of dancers on a raised dais, is low both in production values and in choice of shots with which to display the grandeur of this remarkable city.One advantage that seeing the film has over going to a top concert however is that subtitles are included. It really does help to know what the singers are being so passionate about. But when she sings of the "tango born in the suburbs,'' or the "bittersweet slum of tango," why not show us these world famous suburbs? Many of them are photographer's paradise. Some of the stories are evocative. "He who can play silence, can play tango well." Or, "People danced in the rain with their umbrellas." But sadly a radio version would have conveyed just as much.When the film moves to Montevideo (the capital of Uruguay, separated from Buenos Aires by a short sea trip), there is no mention of the geography to give the viewer some context. Scenes of football matches and other completely unrelated social practices seem even more out of place.There is a difference between enthusing about something to a fellow enthusiast and enthusing in a way a newcomer can understand and pick up on. The greatest statement of the film probably, is, "You don't understand the happiness we feel when we find ourselves her." Having been to Argentina, I hope I have maybe a small inkling. But based on this film, the answer would more likely be, "No, we don't."