'LOVE OR COUNTRY' LACKS URGENCY, BUT OH, THAT MUSIC ...

Byline: David Kronke TV Critic

Only the fact of his defection from his native Cuba separates ``For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story'' from the standard-issue musician biopic. And the film nearly dissipates the drama surrounding Sandoval's defection by opening the film with it, and resorting to the hackneyed device of relating the particulars of the jazz trumpeter's life through flashbacks in an interview with an American Embassy interviewer.

Andy Garcia stars as Sandoval, a man treated fairly well by Cuban government standards - he makes his living playing at least a version of the music he loves. Nonetheless, he feels oppressed in that he's prevented from playing in a small combo the pure jazz that moves his soul (or, as the Castro regime calls it, ``the music of the enemy''; a friend advises him, ``You wanna play the horn, you gotta play the game!'').

Sandoval cleverly finds a way around this by forming a band and adding Cuban inflections to his music's rhythms. Still, defection is a career possibility until he meets Marianela (Mia Maestro), a beauty who works as a government functionary, and they essentially become Cuba's equivalent of James Carville and Mary Matalin.

Still, Sandoval's soul remains restless, but by 1990, when he has a young son with Marianela and a teen-age stepson earmarked for military service, the idea of seeking asylum gets significantly messier. An unlikely ally is Dizzy Gillespie (Charles S. Dutton), who takes Sandoval on tour with him through Europe.

Unfortunately, the film begins with Sandoval in Athens and his wife in London, making the intrigue that comes later in the film concerning acquiring passports a bit on the moot side. Gillespie gets Sandoval to the Embassy, where an interviewer (David Paymer) provides a lot of convenient exposition (``Still, you won a Grammy'') cobbling the musician's biography together.

Because of this structure imposed by screenwriter Tim Sexton and director Joe Sargent, the film feels poky early on (despite the fact that the framing device is designed to give it an initial urgency). Had the story played out chronologically, the events leading up to his slim escape would have boasted both greater tension and emotional resonance.

There's no faulting Garcia (who also executive-produced the film with Jellybean Benitez, as well as the film's soundtrack) and Maestro, who give nuanced, committed performances as Sandoval and his wife, exuding both the laid-back sensuality and the political paranoia of island life.

The film's biggest draw is Sandoval's music itself, performed with bravura and richly and generously slathered over the soundtrack. One wonders, in fact, why he so resented having to imbue his brand of jazz with Cuba's rhythmic sensibility - it adds an irresistible infectiousness to his playing.

``FOR LOVE OR COUNTRY: THE ARTURO SANDOVAL STORY''

What: Biopic exploring the Cuban jazz trumpeter's defection.

The stars: Andy Garcia, Mia Maestro, Charles S. Dutton, Gloria Estefan, David Paymer.

Where: HBO.

When: 9 tonight; also Tuesday, Nov. 26, 29, Dec. 4, 9, 12.

Our rating: Three stars

Writer's 'Blocked' tells fascinating tales

``Blocked: The Novelist's Experience in Hollywood'' purports to examine how respected novelists have gotten chewed up in the moviemaking machinery over the years, but really, it's clear here that even the most cynical hack can get his material destroyed by clueless executive and egomaniacal director or star. Carrie Fisher drolly hosts this documentary, which includes historical background, good-natured grousing from contemporary novelist/screenwriters such as Michael Tolkin (book and script, ``The Player'') and Richard Price (book and script, ``Clockers'') and clips from appropriate movies, particularly the Coen brothers' ``Barton Fink.''

Written by Lewis Bogach, who produced and directed with Don Fizzinoglia (just to make sure the behind-the-scenes talent gets their due), ``Blocked'' includes legendary stories: When William Faulkner's Hollywood bungalow was cleaned out, the notable finds were emptied whiskey bottles and a notepad with ``boy meets girl'' scribbled on it 500 times. Less famous but no less colorful tales are retold, as well: Outraged that the adaptation of his book ``An American Tragedy'' (and no, it wasn't about O.J. Simpson) was turned into a simple melodrama, Theodore Dreiser sued, unsuccessfully of course; he agonized, ``This spells the end of art!'' (Director Josef von Sternberg even offered to testify in Dreiser's behalf.)

``Blocked'' notes that mystery writers seemed to have fared better in the studio system over the years, yet notes that being successful doesn't necessarily mean being appreciated - W.R. Burnett, who wrote 50 screenplays and saw 29 of his 36 books turned into movies - died a complete unknown. On the other hand, it cagily points out that novelists don't always know what's best for a movie: When Ayn Rand insisted on complete artistic control over the adaptation of ``The Fountainhead,'' it flopped.

It's eminently interesting for film fans and must-see material for aspiring screenwriters (who probably still won't be dissuaded from pursuing their muses), who should preferably see it together in large groups, with much booze, and transform the evening into a massive pity party.

``BLOCKED''

What: Documentary on authors, Hollywood and how never the twain should meet.

Where: American Movie Classics.

When: 8:05 tonight.

Our rating: Three stars

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Andy Garcia, left, with Felix David Manrique and Mia Maestro, stars in ``For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story.''

(2) William Faulkner's eccentric homelife is exposed tonight.

(3) Ayn Rand's venture into film proved rather unsuccessful.