Maze of Fate

Live and Die in East LA is a crime-thriller directed by Attila Korosi, who also acts in one of the central roles. There is a fair amount of ambition in this one, despite its small-scale finances and I do have to say that it was considerably better than most movies of such low budget origins. It has some cartoon sequences (which are quite shakily drawn it has to be said) of a caterpillar and its journey through a forest, with various predators and pitfalls along the way. The choices this creature makes is reflected in the main story involving various characters in East L. A. This story is made less straightforward with it reversing every so often and replaying, to show different outcomes to scenarios which hinge on different decisions made by characters in the story. It's a good idea, as it makes what would have been a fairly routine story about people caught up in circumstances into something quite a bit more engaging and interesting; instead, it examines the effect of our choices in life and how they can have a profound impact. Acting performances were good all round with several performers not professional actors at all and more people from the street playing versions of themselves. There are a few visceral moments of violence, with a particularly grim arm chopping sequence and there was some good tension generated in a few key moments as well. It's a very honourable effort overall, and certainly worth checking out for sure.

I found this movie to be very different from what is normally seen in main stream films. You felt the grittiness of that life. I don't watch this genre very often, but this movie kept you engaged and feeling the palpitations of what was to come next. The feel of the culture was authentic and you felt the intensity of the characters in those situations. The story drove the inter-twinning of the characters to keep you engaged. This is just the beginning for this Director and I will definitely be watching for more to come from him. I hope to see more movies that represent La Raza in an authentic manner, which I feel was done very well here.

Movie critics try to evaluate the complete context of a film before putting text to screen. They ask themselves: who made it, what was the motivation, was it successful? In the case of first-time filmmaker Attila Korosi, Live and Die in East L. A. was a success, despite its, at times, indolent dialogue and impuissant performances from two of the main characters: Ishaan Bahri and Korosi himself (which he admitted to of his own acting during Q&As at the Sony Studios premiere).

Korosi's own personal back-story makes watching this film so fun! Thousands of independent directors set out every year to make cinema but few, for example, are capable of funding features with acclaimed actors such as Richard Cabral (Mayans M. C.), Robert LaSardo (The Mule) and Cesar Garcia of Breaking Bad. It is reported that Korosi used his earnings (and charm) from ride-sharing proceeds to co-produce this film - knowing this before watching his complex storyline play out, sets the viewer up for a good time (and don't get me started on the cleaver scene - gasps could be heard in the audience at the theatrical screening I attended)!

Now ask yourself this: how did this unknown writer/actor/director/producer get this film off the ground (shot in difficult-to-access East L. A.) and get it sold even!? The answer is attributed to his talent for using natural charisma to entice pros to work with him - i.e: an Emmy-nominated actor, an Emmy-nominated supervising sound editor, additional music from an award-winning songwriter (who was former staff at Hans Zimmer's music studio no less) and A CAST OF OVER 100 ACTORS!

Maybe this won't win any awards but Korosi has proven himself to be a veteran producer right from the starting line - which is fitting, because he came to the States by utilizing a running scholarship to move from a war-torn country with the dream of making movies in America and he crossed the finish line with an Amazon Prime release - won and (not) done.

Attila Korosi's film is a production that competes with those big budget films, those films called super productions. It is a film made with a small budget, but it looks like one of those in which a lot of money was invested. And not because of the special super effects, which abound in those Hollywood productions. Attila's movie doesn't have any special effects, you won't see any explosions or anything like that. Instead, you will see exceptional acting performances, both from some professional actors and from others who are not actors. There are some men in this movie who look fiercer and more convincing than in any other Hollywood gangster movie. And that's not because of the impressive tattoos and the fact that they have shaved heads. No, first of all what matters is the level at which the actors live their characters, the way they speak, the way they look, the body language. Robert LaSardo is the most dangerous looking. Followed by Richard Cabral, Lee Coc and Michael Flores. Cesar Garcia is very believable in the role of the trafficker executed in the bathtub, one of the shocking scenes of the film. Another extremely shocking scene is the one where we see how another trafficker's hand is cut off. Anita Korosi, the sister of the character played by Attila, the one because of whom we see almost everything that happens in the film, is a very sexy presence, especially in the scenes where she appears only in a bathing suit. The film is filmed with great attention to detail. The only thing I would have preferred not to be in the movie are the cartoon sequences. Otherwise, the film is a success.

LIVE AND DIE IN EAST LA is a thrilling film that tells a great story! This is a MUST SEE film! It has great acting in it so is was exciting to watch. The movie has twists and turns and really keeps your attention. The compelling performances and the film's exploration of immigration issues make it a captivating thriller with depth. I'm so glad I found this film and will watch it again!!! It you want a great movie with a great story - this is the film to watch! I would recommend this film and can't wait to watch it again!! I can't wait for the next film from the director. He did a great job on this film and I am looking forward to see what other films he pushes out!