Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Let's be realistic.

Beautiful, moving film.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

This film tells the story of a man who works in his family owned Mexican restaurant, and has a closeted boyfriend. He wants to move away and break free, but his next door neighbour developed an instant crush for him.I can't quite believe how clichéd the story and the characters are in this film. Everything is rather dramatised for comedic effect. I do like the very dramatic aunt Bianca, who provides much comedic moments. The main character, Pablo, is an amiable person, and I feel a bit sorry for him and his restaurant. Take the film lightly, and you'll find it funny and amusing for a rainy evening.

Nobody lifts any weights or does a single stomach crunch in this movie, though it's important to note that all the gay male characters have muscular arms and flat stomachs with six-packs. This low-budget film doesn't exist to enlighten or involve viewers--it just wants us to ogle the men as fantasy objects (even the proverbial bitchy queen looks like a steroids-addict). Diaphanous script, co-written by director Carlos Portugal, involves René Alvarado as a waiter in East Los Angeles who always looks on the verge of crying; he's impatient with his secret lover over their closeted relationship without really noticing that he himself isn't 'out' to his family (he seems to have no friends). Just after the affair goes bust, Alvarado meets the new neighbors across the street: a flaming, nagging femme and his partner, a sensitive, quiet butch with abs like granite. In what neighborhood did Portugal come from that he thinks this scenario resembles anything intelligent gay audiences can relate to? A little of the dialogue is sharp and funny (most of which belongs to the female characters), and there's a hammy but rude, snorting scene of satire involving participants of an AA meeting. Otherwise, the picture is a little patronizing to its core audience as it prolongs the see-through melodrama to an excruciating length just to get the waiter and the neighbor out of their shirts. I'm assuming they hit the gym afterwards. *1/2 from ****

This is a very technically well-made film with good pacing and overall good acting, with standout performances from the main females and most of the main male actors. The main problem with the film is the extent to which is borrows from stereotypical sitcom television conventions, down to the nicely packaged happy ending. Boy meets closeted boy, boy dumps closeted boy, boy meets new gay couple on block, one half of the gay couple cheats on partner with boy, purely dramatic devices causes a break-up (which in typical television fashion, the couple didn't actually belong together - not the like the boy and cheating partner do), till finally, again true to TV conventions, all is resolved and happily so, that by the time the end title credits roll, boy ends up with the right half of the couple.Don't get me wrong, it's a well-made film with some excellent performances. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser and it's sure to be enjoyed by nearly any gay-identified audience member who views it. Apparently, the distributors didn't see any cross-over appeal as the movie seems to be headed to a DVD release without even a cursory theatrical release in some of the major markets where it did not make into (or which do not have) a gay and lesbian film festival.Definitely worth renting, once the DVD is released, apparently in the next few months, and perhaps even owning. However, comparing this to Brokeback Mountain is definitely not appropriate.

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.