Recent Reviews for Quinceañera (Echo Park, L.A.)
Recent Reviews
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MCT:August 3, 2008Coming of age movie that shows how easily your life can change if you fall outside of society's expectations.
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MCT:July 17, 2008I saw 1/2 but dying to watch the last...it seems the first time a Hispanic gay man is portrayed like a real person and not some cliched sassy side kick...
So I watched the film and I was a bit disappointed. I guess thinking about it I find some shitty contradictions in this film.
SPOILERS***
Like Magdalena's family is understandably upset about her pregnancy and no penetration but sexual acts were still going on! I found that logic ridiculous yeah your kid got pregnant but is still a virgin but she was in a position of sexual experimentation. I guess when I was a kid, either you had sex or you didn't now it seems kids are doing everything but. This bothers me because it is still an intimate act that opens the door to intercourse...anyhow off my soapbox, the film has its high points like the wonderful bond between the cousins and uncle. Aspects of the relationships in the fim are unrealistic, like the 3some business, the rent being lowered in LA to help them out, the uncle making his living selling chaparado. But we do not see many film showing the hispanic/mexican lifestyle, but it was enjoyable. -
MCT:June 20, 2008Historias que pueden darse hasta en las mejores familias, padres que se preocupan más por el qué dirán que por el biesnestar de sus hijos.
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MCT:March 28, 2008Quinceanera a little movie with big heart was made for just under $250,000 in 2005 and went on to win awards and be the darling of the 2006 Sundance Awards. Quinceanera is a young woman's 'spiritual' coming out party when she is 15 yrs old. This story tells of a young girl (Emily Rios) about to make her Quinceanera and finds she is pregnant. Her preacher father rejects her and she goes to live with her aging great uncle played magnificiantly by Chalo Gonzolez and her street thug cousin who also happens to be gay played equally as impressive by Jesse Garcia. The great uncle shows love and acceptance to his niece and nephew & by that love his entire family has their own Quinceanera of sorts and lesson in love & family.
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MCT:March 19, 2008
Very well done movie portraying the every day struggle LA is going through.It also has a very realistic side of the Latino culture and its religious beliefs. Also, it shows the decaying real estate market and how same sex couples and opportunities for them are soaring in LA. ( I liked that, given that I am a lesbian).All of it is very accurate, at times stereotypical but it was needed to make the movie a whole.
If you want to have a broader knowledge on what is going on around in California or LA, I totally recommend this movie. -
MCT:March 7, 2008This movie was truly not about what I thought it'd be about. The celebration of a Quinceañera is probably the first huge stepping stone in a latina woman's life! And I didn't really get any of that in this movie, except the last like 2 seconds of the movie. Being latina myself - I just didn't enjoy it! I'm picky I guess, I won't be seeing this again.
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MCT:January 1, 2008
'Quinceanera' is a small reminder of why I love independent films. Sure, it's not groundbreaking cinema, it's not even that innovative, but it's a nicely done little film that speaks some very powerful truths. Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland's first feature 'Quinceneara' follows a young Mexican-American girl in Echo Park, California during the days leading up to her 'quinceanera' or fifteenth birthday. When she finds out she is pregnant, her uptight preacher father kicks her out of the house and she finds shelter with her great uncle Tomas and her black-sheep cousin Carlos. The problem is -- she's still a virgin!
I know what you are thinking, and no, 'Quinceanera' is not a movie about immaculate conception. Long story short, her boyfriend made a love explosion on her leg and some of the little sperm guys got inside and got her pregnant. Kinda wild, heh? I apologize for the graphic description.
The best aspect about the film is the acting. Jesse Garcia, namely, is outstanding as the black-sheep openly-gay cousin, Carlos. Emily Rios is equally as powerful as the main character, and Chalo Gonzalez is heart-warming as the non-judgemental uncle. Glatzer and Westmoreland's directing is decent, and their screenplay rings true. The film has flaws, namely it lags during the middle, and the gay neighbor sub-plot seems a bit thrown together. However, in the end 'Quinceanera' pulls itself together to send a positive message of tolerance. Grade: B -
MCT:December 15, 2007
Great Film! It's about characters that overcome the crappy deals life gives them, to make something positive. Funny, and portrays real teen behavior and moments.
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MCT:September 30, 2007
Imagine being 14 years old, messing around with your boyfriend (but not going all the way), yet getting pregnant anyway? Aieee.
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MCT:September 13, 2007
A touching little film. Nice to see the Hispanic community portrayed in a different light other than gangs and drugs. Rather charming over all.
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MCT:September 6, 2007
Better than I thought it would be...there were a few sexual gay scenes that I was definitely not expecting and I did not like at all...but overall not bad.
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MCT:August 21, 2007
Excellent movie, very heart warming and full of rollercoasters. It was well worth watching and I highly recommend this movie.
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MCT:July 16, 2007this movie was actually really good. what happens when the quinceanera (the fifteen's girl) gets pregnant before her big day and the only person who she trust to take her to her party is your homosexual cousin. it is a very good movie that i think parents and teenagers alike should see.
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MCT:June 6, 2007Good move, Emily Rios is a great young actress, certain parts were better left unseen, but all in all a pretty good movie.
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MCT:May 21, 2007
This movie was a lot more serious than i was expecting. Every minute is entertaining and full of heart. It was refreshing to see a gay latino thug on film handled so well. The ending is a little abrupt, but it makes sense. I love Mexicans!
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MCT:May 21, 2007
I gotta give props to my cousin Jesse I didn't think he was that good of an actor. But I guess he proved me wrong. I didn't think him doing cheerleeding in high school would pay off for him:P Please don't kill me for telling :P luv ya Jesse. BTW hope to see you at LEE's Wedding!
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MCT:May 19, 2007
Known as Echo Park LA in the UK, Quiceañera is the name given in some Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas to a girl's 15th birthday - traditionally seen as the age in which a girl makes the transition to womanhood, and indeed this change is what permeates the film.
Emily Rios stars as Magdalena, who, on nearing her 15th birthday, discovers she is pregnant (though she insists she has never had sex), and is pretty much abandoned by her religious family. She finds refuge with her more open-minded and kind-hearted Uncle Tomas and her gay cousin, Carlos (Jesse Garcia), who is also making transitions of his own by exploring his sexuality.
An unusual, important and perceptive movie, Quinceañera suffers from a horribly rushed ending that damages some of what has gone before, and has a few weak performances (though both Emily Rios and Jesse Garcia are terrific). Executive produced and promoted by Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven), this remains an entertaining film and is a marked improvement from joint directors Walsh Westmoreland and Richarder Glatzer's previous film, The Fluffer.
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MCT:May 14, 2007
Great movie! If I have a daughter I will make her wear a body rubber, if there is such a thing?! That was crazy how it happened.
Looks like I've been lucky! Phew!
I'm glad I got to watch this. Check it out -
MCT:May 5, 2007
i just watched this tonight...it was good except for the ending it left me saying "wtf was that all about!!!!!"
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MCT:April 18, 2007
Well i love this movie and i think that lif ecan be like this movie and plus a Quinceanera sounds fun to have and Carlos is hottt!!!!!!
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MCT:April 17, 2007
tells the story of Magdalena a young Mexican-American girl,at the age of 14 she realises she is pregnant,abandoned by her boyfriend & religious family she goes to stay with her great uncle and troubled cousin Carlos.a tragedy occurs that pulls the family back together.a great movie worth watching if you havn't already!!
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MCT:April 16, 2007
Great great uncle Tomas is the heart in this story; his unconditional love for his gay grand nephew and his unmarried pregnant grand neice and his love and acceptance of everyone in his neighborhood spark the change that leads to acceptance. A very human movie.
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MCT:April 6, 2007
This is really an interesting look at the Mexican culture and how they view and deal with teen pregnancy and male homosexuality.
A quinceañera is the Mexican version of an American girl's sweet 16, except it happens a year earlier and it's more of a religious thing as well as a party.
The girl in the poster discovers she is pregant at 14 and is kicked out of her house by her religious father, She goes to live with her open-minded and loving older uncle and her gay cousin.
Decent acting from Emily Rios and Jesse Garcia and it won awards at Sundance and the Independent Spirit Awards.
Check it out, if for no other reason then to learn something. -
MCT:March 29, 2007
This is probably the best latino film I have seen since "Mi Famlia"... the acting is great for all the newcomers and Jesse Garcia is amazing as a gay guy from the suburbs of Los Angles....Absolutely Love It and recommend it to EVERYONE.
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MCT:March 22, 2007
I just watched this last night and thought it was amazing... Everyone's acting was right on, the story was great.. and the ONLY moment where I questioned it was the almost predatory gay landlords.. he was interested, why get him fall down drunk first? But, it still worked.
