Hangin' with the Homeboys

I loved this movie. I must have watched it at least 10 times in my life because it's just that good. Usually when I watch it, it's because I recommend it to somebody who has never even heard of it, so I feel the need to let them see my copy. They usually thank me afterwards and agree that it is excellent. It's strange that such a great movie gets so little credit. Not that people don't like it, I guess it's because most people never heard of it. It's a shame.

Next time you go to the video store, keep this one in mind. John Leguizamo does an excellent job in this movie, probably the best performance I've seen from him to this day. Doug E Doug also does a great job in this movie. Although you may not be too familiar with the rest of the small cast, don't let this stop you from checking this movie out, great performances all around. When watching this one, you really get interested in the characters as they are all unique in their own way. Johnny is a shy, honest, hard working young man who lacks experience with women. Willie is an angry man who would rather complain about his situation rather than do anything about it, but deep down he means well. Tommy is a struggling actor with woman troubles and the only one with a car. Last but not least, we have Fernando (or should I say "Vinny"), a self centered womanizer who thinks he is Italian (watch the movie and you'll see what I mean). These four friends go out on the town from the Bronx to Manhattan looking for good times and find themselves in some memorable situations. It's a lot like real life and what makes this movie so great is how the characters relate to each other. The introduction of all the characters is definitely something to see. Great directing, nice cinematography, excellent dialog and not too bad of a sound track. What more can I say.

I recommend this movie to everybody, especially if you like comedies with original jokes that go beyond cheap gags. If you like going out with a small group of friends on a Friday night looking for something to do, this movie will remind you of all those good times. I highly recommend it, so rent it next time you go to the video store.

To me, this movie seems less of a "comedy which makes you think", and more of a powerfully in depth character study, which is always making you laugh. But enough pigeon-holing.

This movie is all characters. The key element, for mine, is the symmetry between them. Four guys. Two black guys, two Hispanic. Two with (pathetic) jobs, two without. Two with more than women on their minds, two without. Because the symmetrical dynamic is always switching, we are always privy to meaningful dialogue, and witness powerful confrontations. That is, the director doesn't just make his point in the first 30 minutes, but is always reevaluating his characters, and their struggles.

Each viewer will no doubt have a favourite character, and his journey will be of most interest and focus. The beauty of this movie, however, is that none of the characters are developed at the expense of another. All are richly detailed, and, if you are like me, your focal character may change with every viewing.

None of the characters are overly likeable; we are always confronted with scenes which really demonstrate their failings and shortcomings. Herein lies the strength of the film. Unlike so many other "cool" and "wacky" comedies, these characters have real depth, and we can't. as honest viewers, think any one of the characters are summed up by the words "cool" or "wacky" or any other simplistic assessment that can easily be applied to characters in so many other movies (and fairly, too). They are all distinct in many ways. The most notable example is each character's technique in dealing with the inherent racism of their society. The most fascinating character here is Vinnie, as he chooses rather than confronting this difficult problem, to deny it even applies to him: "He thinks he's Italian".

My only request when seeing this movie, is not to fall into the trap of missing an appreciation of its depth. Sure, it's got a "cool" title, they just cruise around doing cool stuff ("Jose sent me" is such a good idea!), and they say cool one liners. But beyond that, the characters are at once frustrating and liberating, enjoyable and unlikeable, but most of all, they are all very human, very real.

This movie is a sure classic. Vasquez manages to touch many aspects in society. When dealing with race, jobs, and friendship he makes it easy to put it all in one day. There are many movies that consist in one day, but not all of them are successful. Vasquez manages to make every character totally different. Though 2 of them are Puerto Rican and the other two African American, each one has a strong role opposite to the same race as them. This is big part in the film since tension comes from everyone, and not just racially focused on the typical black and white. The filming is good also with night on night shots that depict a true night life in New York. Vasquez used slow close ups at points for tension and meaning. I really looked forward to more from this director also writer of the movie. It is rare we get voices that relate to a movie behind the scenes of it.

This is one of the few comedies that I absolutley love! Everytime it comes on TV, i still got enough nerve to always watch it. Its that good! Sadly, we're not able to see what Vazquez (the director) would have went on to do. But he left us with a well made comic motion picture that will stand the test of time! ****

Joseph Vasquez' portrayal of the lives of four friends as they prowl the night in search of good times predates the ubiquitous Swingers by four years. Hangin' is similar to its more popular cousin in its sweetness and incisiveness as it deals with the heartaches and fatal flaws of its protagonists. However, these nocturnal wanderers also have to deal with some of the more sublime facets of race relation as Nestor Serrano as Fernando, aka Vinnie, a Puerto Rican gigolo tries to convince everyone, including himself, he's Italian, or Doug E. Doug as Willie blames every one of his problems on the fact he is black and moreover accuses other black people he meets of "selling out" or "ignoring {their} African roots" while he has never participated in one rally or learned a single fact about African Nationalism. The film also features one of the earliest hints at the talents of comic/playwright John Leguziamo as sweet, introspective supermarket stock boy Johnny, a subdued, endearing performance by a man who's now known for extravagance. It's just a matter of time before Leguziamo gets that role which will make him a superstar. Mario Joyner completes the foursome as a lovelorn, less confident than he tries to exude, struggling actor, nee telemarketer, in a solid, if not spectacular performance. While this wonderful film rarely lets up on the laugh, it's also intelligent and inspiring, while at times heartbreaking. What's most heartbreaking is what came after this film; after the promise of his debut, Vasquez was given a ton of money and backing for his next feature, but the film had to be shut down after a week of shooting as Vasquez was walking around the soundstage proclaiming himself Jesus, among other insane ramblings. Within a year, Vasquez died of AIDS in relative obscurity, a tragic end to a man who showed signs of genius. Who knows what that genius might have led to, but while this film will never balance off what might have been, at least he was able to leave his mark with one great film. Hopefully more people will get to see it.