East Side Story

My partner & I saw "East Side Story" at NYC's NewFest in June 2006.

The movie is a well constructed take-off on the Italian-Puerto Rican ethnic conflict in the musical "West Side Story". Instead of the historical focus on those two ethnic groups in NYC, ESS dramatizes the current fault line between middle class Latino residents in LA's Echo Park neighborhood and well-off gays & lesbians who are buying up their homes, gentrifying their area, and threatening to displace them. The specific characters and basic storyline are believable and the movie entertains you throughout the movie.

Of the 15 or so films we screened at that NYC LGBT festival last year & this month, "East Side Story" was by far our favorite (We also liked "Forgiving the Franklins", "Coffee Date", "Outing Riley" and "Bubble", a gripping but HEAVY film by the Israeli director of "Yossi & Jagger".).

Question: does anyone have an idea of when / if "East Side Story" will appear in (art) theaters OR be released on DVD? We'd really like to see it again and, if possible, purchase a copy.

If not, I'll contact the NewFest organizers to see if they can answer this question.

Very enjoyable, well-acted, well-scripted romantic movie! It's hard to believe this is Mr. Portugal's debut film. It doesn't hurt that the movie is chock-full of really cute actors, with enough shirtless scenes and quick rump shots that titillate. ;)

Great characters--almost all the main characters were fully developed. Unlike many gay films, some female characters were given genuine roles and they soared with them. There was definitely a chemistry between ALL of the actors and the movie flowed very well.

Standout performances by René Alvarado as Diego and Irene DeBarri as his grandmother.

This is the best film I have seen so far this year at New Fest in NYC.

Gay movies very often suffer a lack of funding and subsequent underdevelopment. East Side Story bears no sign of this; the production values are good and the acting is mostly great (the lead actor is particularly good).

Diego is approaching 30, yet his life has consisted of very little outside of working at his family's restaurant in East Los Angeles. After being dumped by his "boyfriend", rather than face the ensuing fall-out over his homosexuality, he resolves to leave LA and make a life for himself in Phoenix. But a brief meeting with his openly gay new neighbours begins opening his mind to the possibilities of life - if he can only have the courage to be who he is.

The blurb for this film claims that it avoids all the clichés, and that is actually true. Just about everything works perfectly in East Side Story, a welcome fact that ensures you concentrate on the emotional journey playing out on the screen. Those who saw "Mambo Italiano" another gay film of high production values (from Canada) may notice some story similarities, but every element is still very valid. Anyone looking for a good gay movie should certainly give East Side Story a go.

Diego (Rene Alvaredo) is almost 30, living in east LA with his grandmother (Irene DeBari), helps run a family restaurant, has no friends and has an unhappy relationship with a VERY closeted real estate agent (David Beron). Diego also is in the closet but wants to come out. Then a gay couple move next door--and Diego falls for one of them (Steve Callahan).

This is extremely light and a little lacking in plot--but how many movies to we see about a gay Latino man falling in love and struggling to come out? It's well-directed, moves very quick and has a very good attractive cast. Alvaredo and Callahan are (to put in mildly) very handsome with nice bodies...but they also can act. Also DeBari is excellent as Diego's grandmother--her and Alvaredo play off each other perfectly. Also Gladys Jimenez (as Bianca Campos--an aunt) comes roaring out full force. She has the funniest lines ("A four way is not an orgy!") and plays them full tilt. I also have to admit more than a few moments had my audience choking up--Diego's wanting to come out is sometimes painful to watch and DeBari's total acceptance of him is very moving.

My only complaints are the plot is kind of sketchy, the ending is way too unbelievable (this one pushes for a happy one) and the two main villains in this (Pablo and Wesley's lover Jonathan) are so vicious it gets uncomfortable. And we're supposed to believe a hot young guy like Diego has NO friends??? Still this is fun, light and also includes some very passionate guy on guy kissing. Recommended.

This is a wonderfully fun and well-made film. For a low-budget film, this is about as good as it gets. You can tell the people involved are headed for great things. The direction was flawless. The drama was touching and the humor absolutely hilarious; the pace: perfect. The acting: engaging.

While technically a coming-out story, it doesn't feel like one. The story avoids the clichés with a refreshingly modern angle. The over-arching themes are there loud and clear, without overshadowing the personal story of the lead character.

I saw this film at Philly's gay film festival. So many of the other films either have gorgeous eye candy or good acting, not both. That was not the case with this movie. The lead actors are all incredibly hot - and you see plenty of them - yet they were great actors as well. The director was generous with the eye candy without being gratuitous. It seemed directed to appeal to a gay audience, but tastefully, in a way that won't be a turn-off to straight audiences.

Fun. Entertaining. Touching. Hilarious. Highly recommended.