El Cantante is a 2006 American film released in the United States on August 3, 2007. The biopic stars singer Marc Anthony and actress-singer Jennifer Lopez (she also served as an executive producer for the film). The film is based on the life story of salsa legend Héctor Lavoe (played by Marc Anthony). In the film, Marc Anthony portrayed a music legend and "Anthony's personal tribute to Lavoe was his imitation of not just Lavoe's style, but his voice, his delivery, his timing – well, it was quite amazing and true to Lavoe."

The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2006. The film runs 106 minutes and has an R rating due to scenes depicting drug use, pervasive language and some sexuality. The film chronicles Héctor Lavoe's rise to fame, his battle with drugs, his attempted suicide, and his death from AIDS.

"Ms. Lopez brings a lot of fight to her performance, a hard, skeptical edge that makes Puchi a more interesting and plausible character than her husband." Some film critics have expressed their surprise at the relatively high profile given to the Puchi character in the film (as compared to Nilda Perez's relatively subdued influence over Lavoe's career). The film was criticized for its formulaic writing and hollow character development.^{[citation needed]} It received a 22% "rotten" certification from the entertainment website Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus being it "adheres to the most basic conventions of the musical biopic, rendering it indistinguishable from others of its ilk".

Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American actress, businesswoman, dancer and recording artist. Often referred to as J.Lo, she is reportedly the highest earning actress of Latin descent. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, she enrolled in singing and dancing classes as a child and grew up in a musically influenced household. She started her career as a fly girl on the television comedy program In Living Color and a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson. Lopez gained recognition in the action-thriller Money Train (1995). Her first leading role was in the biographical film Selena (1997), which was her breakthrough role, earning her an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress and Golden Globe nomination. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in Out of Sight (1998), which made her the highest-paid Latin actress. She has since appeared in various films including The Cell (2000), The Wedding Planner (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004), Monster-in-Law (2005), The Back-up Plan (2010) and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012).