La Mission (2009)

This movie is smart, passionate, down to earth, poignant, heartbreaking and heartwarming. Superb acting, scenery, setting and supporting cast.Benjamin Bratt and Erika Alexander are inspired in starring roles. But the supporting cast is rich with excellent actors. The resultant effect is a true ensemble feeling. Intertwined with the main story - about a man and his high school son who is emerging as a gay man - are many subplots that help paint a richer picture of the barrio and the culture: There are the low rider cars - colorful and flamboyant. And there is the life of the neighborhood, hanging on the stoops, getting along with the people next door.This is a must see.

I get it: I don't live in or around San Francisco and I know it's only stereotyped as the "Gayest Town on the Planet," but it was hard for me to find homophobia this deep in the glorified afterschool special, La Mission.I'm sure it exists as I'm sure there are Gambler Anonymous meetings near Las Vegas Blvd, and perhaps it would've been even more cliché to set this movie about a father coming to terms with his son's homosexuality in Laramie, WY. For me, that was as tough a pill to swallow as tough-guy Che (Bratt) displayed.Okay, so we have Che & son, Jesse, (Valdez) who live in the Mission district of San Francisco. They like slow moving cars and enjoy sobriety. Well, Jesse's tastes are changing, literally. From the disinterest in cars, to the newly discovered beer and most importantly: men. Ex-con and macho-man-of-the-year daddy won't have any of that.Might I mention that part of his phobia stems from his devote Catholic and Hispanic heritage? Probably more from the religious side, because some of the other Hispanic neighbors don't seem to care as much.Throw in the ever smart and tree-hugging Lena (Erika Alexander) as the neighbor of reason and affection from Che, some hate crimes and a back-drop of Alcoholics Anonymous brings you to a practically harmless afterschool special. Heck, they even had the obligatory hospital scene.It's much too long to hold too many people's interest and Che's anger barely calms throughout, in fact it grows more and more until the finale. I almost expected a "To Be Continued" to show up because it was taking far too long to get to the inevitable "acceptance" message.And that, his anger, though integral to the story line, was a bit harsh to consume. Barely a consequence was shown, hardly a realization to be had. I'm sure this type of extreme rebellion exists, but I think the kid, Jesse, who could've been anyone's kid as he showed zero resemblance inside or out to Che, should've left the scene long before due to the mad man he calls Dad.Despite the soundtrack I hated terribly, the movie's beautifully shot and the acting's surprisingly above par. That said, I'd recommend other coming-of-terms films as this brings little to the table in originality or surprises.

Caught this flick with a choice of almost any seat. Weird because the theater is known for showing real life, low budget, "art" and eclectic films so I expected it to be well attended at the 2:10 showing. Someone judged that the religious elements in the movie were a distraction. I don't get the same read. They seemed to fit in culturally quite well. In fact I judge there was an intent to show a paradox between passion for worship / faith reverence and passionate violence. The central theme is the breakdown between single parent father and gay son. It left room for some play around other compelling life issues. If you are shy about the subject of gay men, go see Oceans. Two hours is too long for this movie (requisite love scene was useless), but the length did not detract from the story. The ending ... go see the movie.

Diamonds are rare and the result of years of pressure on what many of us see as insignificant bits of carbon. Small films shine the brightest because there is enormous pressure on them to succeed and are so rare to find, but one of them bursts through like this film, we'd better be ready to witness pure brilliance and some amazing work.Much of the success of this piece is having Benjamin Pratt as the propelling force. His perfect portrayal of a complex, tortured conservative (within his cultural boundaries) push him to emotional conflicts he might never be able to handle. The audience knows we are in for tour-de-force performance when the film shows in a very early scene an emotional confrontation between father and son, after Che discovers some hidden baggage on his son's life. The scene is violent, emotional, dark, powerful, and hard to watch, as we see two human beings who obviously love each other react in very explosive terms. Jess is his father's younger version, a strong human young man who is discovering himself is not willing to compromise his belief, much like his father clings to his traditional values. The big exception is that there plenty of darkness and suffering in Che's life. In spite of having been given a second chance, as we eventually learn through scenes that provide some family and friends' back stories. Che has seen plenty of tragedy before, but he hasn't been able to find cathartic release and holds much pain inside. Dealing with his only child's new revelations might just be enough to push him into irreparable damage.There are some wonderful scenes in "The Mission." We're exposed to facets of a culture that very few people ever see. There are stereotypes, but also much is done to create real character out of many of the supporting characters. Che's brother parallel storyline is subtly presented to show the way this family interacts with each other and the strength of their family bonds. Che's African American neighbor is delightful and refreshing showing a strong and sensitive human being who might be the link between doom and salvation for Che.The biggest revelation in the film is Jeremy Ray Valdez's performance as the estranged son who might not be able to reconnect with his father. Seldom one can see such a range of emotions so perfectly displayed scene after scene, matching Pratt's nearly perfect performance bit by bit. One looks forward to seeing more of this amazing actor in the future."The Mission" is a rich, powerful, and finely detailed movie that shows the inner workings of a segment of society rarely seen through this lens. The film is a small, intimate jewel that is both touching and enjoyable. Excellent!