Written by Jesus Figueroa
An
unexpected emotional comedy, "Tio Papi" aka "Uncle Dad,"
brings generations together as well as ethnicities.
The story
of an immature man unready for kids can be a common one, but what "Tio
Papi" does is throw him into a situation where he receives his 6 nieces
and nephews because he's their only surviving relative and makes a seemingly
common story unique and complex in a thrilling way.
Ray Ray,
played by Joey Dedio, is an immature New York man who is working towards a
dream of fun and relaxation on the sunny Miami, Florida beaches.
Suddenly
his sister and husband fall victim to a horrific car accident which takes both
their lives and Ray Ray becomes the guardian of his 6 nieces and nephews.
From
oldest to youngest Vanessa, played by Gabriella Fanuele, Manny, played by David
Castro, Angela, played by Fatima Ptacek, Angelo, played by Sebastian Martinez,
Lola, played by Nicolette Pierini, and Nico, played by Dax Roy.
Ray Ray
goes from no children to six children over night. He recruits the help of
friends and his ex-girlfriend Cheeky, played by Elizabeth Rodriguez. Cheeky
reluctant due to her and Ray Ray's past helps out and brings the group together
despite Ray Ray seeing the children's arrangement as being temporary.
Dealing
with unexpected arrival of the children as well as the untimely death of his
sister starts to be too much for him to handle, especially when the earning
he's had for his life long dreams starts to dwindle.
Becoming
a father to his nieces and nephews becomes one of the most difficult and
rewarding things to Ray Ray.
Dedio
does a great job in transitioning his character from beginning to end. The lay
back attitude and charm of his character make him likable. The role stays in a
certain parameter which makes the character feel real.
Castro takes
his character on a 180 degree ride. From frustrated troubled teen whose parents
have passed away to a strong bond which helps keep the unconventional family
unit together. There's so much this young actor does that seems like any other
teenager in his situation would do.
The
ending to the film is satisfying although a bit cheesy but unexpected. The
story seems to take a serious tone towards the end that audiences can empathize
with.
I give
this film a 4 out of 5 Popcorns. It starts off slow and seeming like a typical
Latin American film but quickly turns into a universal story which captures the
attention of the audience. There is a mixture of English and Spanish, referred
to as Spanglish by the Latin American community, that feels to be organic. The
film is a Hispanic film with a Hispanic cast but the story stands universal.
"Tio
Papi" is out in theaters this Friday.
