![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reviews_and_ramblings
Director: Carlos PortugalWriters: Carlos Portugal (writer)
Charo Toledo (writer)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Tagline: Love Thy Neighbor...Just Don't Get Caught.
Plot: Finding love in east Los Angeles is challenging, especially for a young closeted gay man. At times, sexy and romantic.
Called a "feel good movie" by its fans, this appealing debut film of director Carlos Portugal suffers from no freshman errors, as Portugal confidently tells the story of Diego (played by the wonderful and charming René Alvarado), a young, closeted Latino, who helps his grand-mother (standout Irene DeBarri) run the family restaurant while carrying on a clandestine relationship with equally closeted Pablo (the delightful David Beron).
Diego has long felt trapped by the conservative culture of East LA and plans to move away and open an upscale restaurant, hopefully with his lover. But Pablo views their situation very differently - a point driven home when he begins dating Diego's spirited Aunt Bianca (hilarious sexpot Gladise Jimenez). At the same time, white gay men like Jonathan and Wesley are moving in, gentrifying the neighborhood. The attraction between Wesley and Diego is immediate and electric, forcing both men to reexamine their state of affairs in this entertaining comedic drama.
A "coming out" story that avoids all the tired cliches and stays committed to telling the stories of these characters, East Side Story examines bias of all kinds and features stirring performances by incredibly attractive actors. This story sweetly appeals to the romantic impulses of us all, gay and straight.
@Wolf on Demand: http://muvi.es/w1759/36488
@IMDb
@Amazon: East Side Story
Cast (in alphabetical order)
Luis Accinelli ... Don Rogelio
René Alvarado ... Diego Campos
David Berón ... Pablo Morales
Steve Callahan ... Wesley Henderson
Michael Cassady ... Dennis
Dominic Ceci ... Adam
Irene DeBari ... Sara Campos
Yelyna De Leon ... Tiffany
Anthony Fitzgerald ... Jimmy
Gladys Jimenez ... Bianca Campos (as Gladise Jimenez)
Shannon Kemp ... Steve
Luis Raul ... Salvador
Cory Schneider ... Jonathon Webber
Andrea Zafra ... Janice Morales
Darlene Mann ... Young mother (uncredited)
