East Side Story (2006)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Admirable film.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Fresh young talent and a healthy dollop of enthusiasm serve as the springboard of this well written (Carlos Portugal and Charo Toledo), well directed (Carlos Portugal) and well acted exuberant story of those once perceived tightly closet doors of the East Los Angeles Hispanic community. Not that this is the first film to engage the topic of being gay in East LA - QUINCEAÑERA is another superb film on the subject - but it addresses so many other aspects of family and social life happening now that it deserves a wide audience. With a cast of newcomers coupled with some very fine veterans of the screen EAST SIDE STORY comes to life in a highly entertaining fashion.Closeted schooled chef Diego Campos (a fine debut by René Alvarado) works as a waiter in his grandmother Sara's (elegant Irene DeBari) little Mexican restaurant where grumpy homophobic chef Don Rogelio (Luis Accinelli) presides in the kitchen. Diego dreams of opening his own restaurant but family ties keep him grounded. Diego's campy Aunt Bianca (Gladise Jimenez) returns from Monaco on one of her many expensive sojourns to find a man and changes begin to happen. Diego's equally closeted boyfriend Pablo Morales (David Berón) has been refusing to settle down in a relationship with Diego, claiming that the union is a 'passing fancy'. When Bianca enters, Pablo's attentions turn to the sexy lady and Diego is brokenhearted.Into this mélange enters a white gay couple who buy a 'flip' house across the street, a signal to the neighborhood that gentrification is just around the corner. The couple - Wesley (Steve Callahan) and Jonathan (Cory Schneider) - meet the morose Diego and a match strikes between Diego and Wesley. Jonathan is assigned all the lines having to do with prejudice and is the one who wants out of the neighborhood as soon as their house is enhanced and their gay friends begin to visit. The white couple move apart and Wesley and Diego begin a courtship dance that is encouraged by Diego's family. How Diego handles his loss of Pablo to his Aunt Bianca and copes with the possibility of being open with Wesley forms the story line. It is all the hilarious and not so hilarious sidebars that share the space of the 'outing' that make the film so personal and successful.Carlos Portugal is clearly a talent to watch, as are his attractive and talented cast members. EAST SIDE STORY is a fine companion piece to QUINCEAÑERA and should enjoy the same degree of popularity for all the same reasons! Grady Harp

This is a very technically well-made film with good pacing and overall good acting, with standout performances from the main females and most of the main male actors. The main problem with the film is the extent to which is borrows from stereotypical sitcom television conventions, down to the nicely packaged happy ending. Boy meets closeted boy, boy dumps closeted boy, boy meets new gay couple on block, one half of the gay couple cheats on partner with boy, purely dramatic devices causes a break-up (which in typical television fashion, the couple didn't actually belong together - not the like the boy and cheating partner do), till finally, again true to TV conventions, all is resolved and happily so, that by the time the end title credits roll, boy ends up with the right half of the couple.Don't get me wrong, it's a well-made film with some excellent performances. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser and it's sure to be enjoyed by nearly any gay-identified audience member who views it. Apparently, the distributors didn't see any cross-over appeal as the movie seems to be headed to a DVD release without even a cursory theatrical release in some of the major markets where it did not make into (or which do not have) a gay and lesbian film festival.Definitely worth renting, once the DVD is released, apparently in the next few months, and perhaps even owning. However, comparing this to Brokeback Mountain is definitely not appropriate.

I saw this movie at the 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival and absolutely loved it!!! East Side Story traces the transition of a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in East LA. Handsome young Diego is ready to take the next step with his career and his Latino (but closeted) boyfriend, Pablo. Obviously, there are many challenges facing Diego including his sexy new Anglo neighbor (who happens to have a "live in" boyfriend), his love- starved Aunt Bianca, and an intolerant Latino neighborhood.Cudos to Carlos Portugal on his directorial debut. East Side Story definitely has something to say with a fantastic infusion of humor and poignancy. The characters are well defined and relatable, and the story is very well paced. I haven't laughed this hard since seeing "There's Something about Mary." Bottom line - the actors are hot, the story is compelling, and the music is fabulous. If East Side Story is any indication of Mr. Portugal's talent, I can't wait to see more from this truly gifted director!

I saw this last night at the NewFest GLBT Film Festival and LOVED it! If this is a first time effort, we can expect wonderful and great films to come. Everything about this is appealing! Cast, plot, writing, directing, music, sets, costumes, but most of all - heart! There is so much love and care and hope and dreams fulfilled alive on the screen. If Sandra Bullock were a gay man this would be her film. I laughed, feared, hoped and smiled so much. For me, this was the type of film "Brokeback Mountain" could have been. I think this should be required viewing for every person who has felt bias and hatred toward another minority. What we don't understand we fear and what we fear we try to destroy. I hope every person involved in this film continues to share their gifts with us. I hope this film finds the right distributors to get out there and let the world see what can only be described as a true gem of a film. Watch out world, these talented people are on their way! Kudos to all!