La Mission

Even in L.A., this powerful film about Latino family culture only ran in a handful of theaters for a fewer number of weeks. Well worth looking for, LA MISSION is one of the most powerful and rewarding films I've seen in years.

Every actor, from unknown to under-rated, is perfectly cast and directed. Leading man Benjamin Bratt is given solid dialog, but in a major scene in which he has no words, his body and soul communicate all that needs to be said and more. The carefully chosen locations and intricately-detailed set design are reasons enough to shut your cell phone off and let it command your undivided attention.

Even the soundtrack which could have gone down a well-traveled "low rider" route takes you to unexpected places -- from indigenous Aztec folk music to India raga; from the 60s to the present. Both the original and adapted musical choices are just as involving as the script and plot. Yet it's not available on a soundtrack CD as of this writing.

Don't want to say more, because the film is best seen "cold" with little inside knowledge. But you will leave the theater (or your home screen) wondering why this well-crafted labor of love is such a well- kept secret.

Woefully overlooked despite solid reviews, it's 2 hours well spent -- and warrants repeated viewing for years to come.

"La Mission" is a project of love about the barrio neighborhood the Bratt brothers grew up in. Writer/Director Peter Bratt takes time and care to set up a strong sense of cultural pride with Aztec dancers, Catholic rituals, "slow and low" cruising in shiny low riders through the family oriented Mission District of San Francisco.

Che Rivera (Benjamin Bratt) an ex-con and recovering alcoholic, has worked hard to earn the respect of his community by going straight and being a good father to his college bound son (Jeremy Ray Valdez.) Benjamin Bratt portrays Che as the embodiment of Mexican machismo. The director presents him as a sympathetic character who was brought up to use his fists to survive on the hard streets. Che finds strength for his quest for redemption in his culture and religion. But when he discovers that his beloved son is gay, that homophobic culture drives his negative response.

Enhancing the theme is a multi-racial relationship with Che's black, culturally diverse, social-worker neighbor Lena (Erika Alexander.) Lena sees through Che's violent, macho exterior. Experience has taught her that this kind of man is incapable of changing, but she can't help but be moved by the wounded boy inside.

There is an odd visual metaphor which I believe is meant to show the contrast between past and present Chicano culture: colorful Aztec dancers perform at the shine of a murdered teen with a sign, "No more violence." I found it odd because the Aztec's practiced human sacrifice. Whether intentional or not, the Aztec dancers are a good metaphor for the theme: We need to keep what is healthy from our culture or religion and let go of what is destructive.

"La Mission" isn't perfect. A few scenes were just left hanging - especially in the romantic subplot. I didn't feel the chemistry between Che and Lena. But Benjamin Bratt delivers one of his strongest performances. The brothers have given us an authentic, loving depiction of the culture in the Mission barrio with an important theme for our times.

Movie Blessings! Jana Segal,Reel Inspiration

My family was from the Mission District when it was primarily an Irish neighborhood. Its main claim to fame was it has the nicest weather in San Francisco. I grew up during the transition from Irish to Hispanic, and had a front row seat on the ethnic diversity that took root during the late 1940's/early 1950's. While much has changed since then much has remained the same. Still has great weather and a beautiful park in its midst, right next to Mission High School and Mission Delores. The film perfectly captures the Mission District of today with its hugely Hispanic influence. It is a refreshing change from the yuppie San Francisco we usually see in movies with an emphasis on the Marina, Union Square, and Pacific Heights. The Mission is still where the working class live as it was back when I was growing up. This is a movie about working class values, family values, and machismo, with a San Francisco backdrop. The cinematography is first class with good use of closeups of people, cars, and interesting houses. The movie of course is mainly about the class of Hispanic male culture versus the gay experience in San Francisco, and it pulls that off by presenting a sympathetic view of each culture. That is not easy to do. I enjoyed this movie not so much because it was so well made but because there are so few movies that even attempt to capture a human sized story with a story about a working class neighborhood in a world famous city. This movie was different in a very good way. It was also nice to see a movie about Hispanics not centered either in L.A. or New York. The cast was uniformly excellent. There wasn't a false note in this movie. Kudo's to the Bratt brothers for having the tenacity to make this movie.

This underrated movie provides an insider's view of the colorful San Francisco's neighborhood known as the "Mission" - a predominantly Latino enclave in San Francisco. Inspired by real characters, it does not present the usual clichés of the ethnic minority drama by avoiding the romanticizing of this environment; it skews the typical down home ethnic wisdom favored by liberal Hollywood and does not become another histrionic sordid ghetto thriller/soap opera.

Supported by an excellent cast, Benjamin Bratt gives an astonishing performance as an intolerant bus driver, a single father who cannot accept his adolescent only son's homosexuality despite the love and pride he feels for him. The violent machismo that have shaped his life is perpetuated by the next generation of disenfranchised youth who prey La Mission.

The neighborhood is presented as an insular world almost anachronistic in 21st century San Francisco. Working class middle age men turn old cars into souped-up low-riding monsters and make fun of soy lattes and recycling, feathered Aztec dancers fill the streets with color and sound as neighbors try to maintain a sense of heritage with their indigenous past, families place flowers and pray where their children have been slain.

The movie transcends its family drama genre allowing the story to evolve at its own pace with a feeling of authenticity and honesty prevailing in every scene. Without providing easy solutions, it centers on a character whose contradictions reflect the world he inhabits. Highly recommended.

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.