Review: The real-life rise of an engaging frontman inspires the lax, awkward 'Clika'

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The title of Michael Greene’s coming-of-age music film “Clika” refers to the slang word for “clique” in the terminology of the corridos tumbados musical genre — or trap corridos, a distinctly American evolution of the Mexican storytelling ballads.This blending of musical cultures takes the narrative quality of traditional corridos and incorporates rap and hip-hop stylings, as well as uniquely modern Mexican American stories, as pioneered in large part by groups like Herencia de Patrones, a band out of Yuba City, Calif.

Frontman Jay Dee makes his acting debut in “Clika,” a film based in part on his own life story.The film’s producer is musica Mexicana record exec Jimmy Humilde, CEO of Rancho Humilde, and his intent with the project is to prove Mexican American stories worthy of the big-screen treatment.It’s a noble endeavor, and an important one in this moment, in which Latino Americans are being unfairly targeted by the Trump administration.

If Humilde and Greene get anything right with “Clika,” it’s asserting the importance of these stories in film, as Latino representation in cinema is often woefully lacking.It also introduces Jay Dee and his music to a wider and more mainstream audience.With a unique sound all his own, he will be a true discovery for some viewers, and an exciting screen debut for his already established fans.That’s the good news about “Clika.” The bad news is that they probably should have made a documentary or a concert film to tell Jay Dee’s story instead.

Toward the end of “Clika” we get a few clips of real concert footage, as Jay Dee’s character, Chito, finally finds the musical success he’s dreamed of, and it’s so much more compelling than the hackneyed gangster tale they’ve reverse-engineered into Jay Dee’s life story.Out Jan.23, “Clika” is modeled after Jay Dee’s journey from the farmlands to inte...