Boricua

This is a strong first feature from Marisol Torres depicting several Latino characters during a summer in Chicago's Humboldt Park. The performances are strong particularly the character of Willy as played by Ramses Jimenez. At times reminiscent of DO THE RIGHT THING, the films flaws at times lay with the director chewing off more than she can chew. Some of the characters are fascinating, such as the leech Latino Real estate agent who hustles his own people out of their neighborhoods, but one wishes that these and other characters like the pot smoking college student who falls for a thug, were more fleshed out. Being from Chicago, I thought the film was visually lacking as well. I wanted to see MORE of Humboldt Park and its awesome parks and boulevards, but the film only opens up visually during the parade sequences. Overall, a promising debut for its directors and talented actors and a TRUE CHICAGO film which understands its neighborhoods, unlike the typical Hollywood crap which uses the city for it's Sears Tower backdrop and shoots the rest in Toronto.

If there is a good reason to view this movie is only if you enjoy stereotyping. The movie did an "excellent" job at validating all the stereotypes existent for any one who has lived in that area. Is that good? Not in my book, and it will NEVER compare to Nothing Like the Holidays, which set a separate bar and standard, high, Chicago Boricua set a new LOW. Poor acting, cheap direction, depressing theme, and the already cliché of adding tons of foul language and stereotypes about the Puerto Rican community, not only in Chicago, but ANYWHERE in the U.S.A. You can definitely make a movie without the need of trash language, but it seems that such coarseness in language is a must nowadays. Lack of creativity perhaps? Don't waste a dollar or two on renting this movie, better play lotto with it.