REVIEWED - ECHO PARK, LASHOT on a tiny budget, using many non-professional actors, this dramatic consideration of the changing demographics of a once largely Latin quarter of Los Angeles is a hard film to dislike. Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, directors of The Fluffer, a story from the porn industry, introduce us to Magdalena, the teenage daughter of a storefront preacher, who discovers she is pregnant just as she is to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony known as Quinceañera (the film's US title).
Magdalena (Emily Rios) seems to sincerely believe she conceived without having sex - and she's right, sort of. Relations with her father are sufficiently damaged that she feels the need to move in with an elderly great-uncle and her arrogant male cousin. A gay couple in a neighbouring apartment come to represent the malign forces of gentrification. The pair begin an irresponsible relationship with Magdalena's cousin and otherwise demonstrate disrespect towards the community around them.
Echo Park, LA filmed in the area that grants the film its title, has a fine sense of place and allows many opportunities for its often-inexperienced young actors to shine. Inspired in part by Shelagh Delaney's play A Taste of Honey, the picture, like that grim-up-north drama, suggests that warmth and acceptance can be found in the most unlikely places. Chalo Gonzalez, who had a part in The Wild Bunch, plays the elderly uncle as the most liberal and open-minded character in the story.
Yes, the film is a tad patronising, more than a little cosy and notably rough around the edges. Sure, it feels like a great many other indie films set in similar environs. But it is a decent thing made by decent people and, as such, deserves a deal of respect.
