reviewed by: Charity Bishop

     

It's always interesting to watch music stars go into movies, although I wouldn't wish the profession on anyone. Some singers, like Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, prove to be very versatile. Mandy Moore really surprised me with her compelling performance in A Walk to Remember. Mariah Carey and Britney Spears discovered how tedious it can be in Glitter and Crossroads. Christian crossovers are more difficult to find. Carman is one of the few who dared make a film, and even then it didn't receive rave reviews. Which brings us to Latino pop music star Jaci Velasquez. Chasing Papi is her big screen debut, a film hoped to achieve the success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and open up Latino productions to a more mainstream audience. The previews try and exploit the storyline -- a playboy leading on three individual girls who take it on themselves to squabble over who he stays with for good. The story is actually quite  enjoyable, but does make me question some of the values Jaci is presenting to her many fans. 

Tomas Fuentes (nicknamed "Papi Chulo" by his girlfriends, meaning "Pretty Daddy," played by Eduardo Verstegui) is a manly man. He's gorgeous. He's fairly well off. His smile can make any girl fall in a dead faint at his feet. He's also stringing along three very different young ladies, unable to make up his mind just who deserves to be Mrs. Fuentes. Cici (Sofa Vergara) is a cocktail waitress in Miami who wants to ultimately be a dancer. She's blonde, buxom, and sexy. And, she warns, "if I ever find you've been cheating on me..." With this nightmare looming over his head, Tomas is forced to contend with a big problem -- the other two women in his life. Lorena (Roselyn Sanchez) lives in Chicago and is a lawyer who doesn't pull punches. She works for the Latin community, attempting to get them equality in the workplace. A no-nonsense intellectual, she finds their relationship mentally stimulating. The final flower in his unique "garden" of taste is Patricia (Jaci Velasquez), a snobby, rich brat in a New York Penthouse. 

Each one, he declares, is an individual flower in need of his attentions. Each one is his beloved lotus blossom. His doctor tells him he must dump two of them if he wants to regain his health. But which one will he choose? The girls are about to decide for him. Believing him to be home at his LA apartment, they separately sneak into the house, don the lingerie he's bequeathed them, and all burst in at the same time through separate doors to announce their presence. But Papi isn't even home! Because this is a romantic comedy, there's a lot of scrapping going on... over Papi! If I discovered my beloved had two other girlfriends besides myself stashed in different corners of the US, I'd tell him off and take the next plane home. This isn't what Papi's girls are made of: they're determined to fight over him like barnyard chickens with a new rooster in town. For the next hour we witness a humorous, if at times incredible, display of antics. Overall Chasing Papi is kind of fun. It's good for a few laughs and has some great cinematic moments.

The acting is also quite good. By the end, I'd found myself enjoying the experience despite the sensual quality of the film. The problem, therein, lies in the implications of content rather than actual activity. If a girl goes to her boyfriend's apartment and dons lingerie, it means she's sexually involved with him. She hasn't dropped by to compare Bible study notes. That Jaci would be involved in these shenanigans makes me a little uneasy; it's true that if you play someone on TV, you aren't that person. However the people you play should reflect your values. I would understand if Jaci was devoted to playing a villain, but shouldn't she take a little more care in giving impressions to her fans? Even just to have had her drop over for some other purpose (despite the fact that her lingerie is as modest as one can get) would have changed my opinion entirely. There's a great deal of cleavage on the part of CiCi, lots of bum-shaking in several steamy dance sequences, and some innuendo, along with language (the worst is a single abuse of Jesus' name).

The girls are promoted to visit Papi in LA by a TV astrologer. Still, one value does come out of Papi... the truth that women don't need a man in order to make them feel complete. We are all individuals, gifted by God, and entirely whole with Him in our lives. Boyfriends and husbands are only secondary gifts. There's nothing wrong with being single. Too bad not much emphasis is placed on this rare truth. The charming thing about this film is how the girls become friends by the closing credits. It's a predictable but nevertheless effective ending. For girls able to understand that the whole premise is meant to be funny rather than true to life, Chasing Papi will probably be an enjoyable ride. The actresses in particular show a lot of spunk and likeability. Roselyn Sanchez is the Latino version of Sandra Bullock, right down to the smile, and Jaci holds up her end with surprising talent. But for me, the elements of sensuality in the dancing, skimpy clothing of the leads, and some of the girls' ambitions leave a bittersweet taste in one's mouth. I hope Jaci seeks more worthwhile avenues into which to pour her God-given talents in the future.