I watched "Quinceañera" after reading some positive reviews about it and I was not disappointed. Although the movie is set in a very specific subculture (or subcultures), it is so universal that I think anyone could relate to it in some way. The movie is about family conflicts, the hardships of first love and about the redeeming power of tolerance. It also has some really funny scenes that sparkle the movie with some comic relief.
What I also enjoyed was the way that this movie penetrates the typical stereotypes about minorities and shows the human core we all share. I mean, honestly: teenage pregnancy, economic troubles, and intolerance towards homosexuality are things that can happen in any cultural context... This movie just happens to set them in Echo Park, L.A. I also loved the credibility of the actors: both their acting and their natural looks made the movie feel so real.
Some viewers tried to emphasize the importance of the sweet fifteen birthday celebration for a girl in Mexican culture in order to understand the movie. But I must say that having grown up in that country myself, I had the experience that the whole party thing with the ceremony and all was more a rural custom than Mexican as such. In the city I grew up, girls would go on a trip or get a special present instead of having a party when they turned 15. But I think you don't have to be closely acquainted with Quinceañera celebrations in order to understand the movie. The movie is self-explanatory in this issue, and as I mentioned before, it does possess an amazing universality despite the folklore.
This is movie is very enjoyable, and well worth watching!
What I also enjoyed was the way that this movie penetrates the typical stereotypes about minorities and shows the human core we all share. I mean, honestly: teenage pregnancy, economic troubles, and intolerance towards homosexuality are things that can happen in any cultural context... This movie just happens to set them in Echo Park, L.A. I also loved the credibility of the actors: both their acting and their natural looks made the movie feel so real.
Some viewers tried to emphasize the importance of the sweet fifteen birthday celebration for a girl in Mexican culture in order to understand the movie. But I must say that having grown up in that country myself, I had the experience that the whole party thing with the ceremony and all was more a rural custom than Mexican as such. In the city I grew up, girls would go on a trip or get a special present instead of having a party when they turned 15. But I think you don't have to be closely acquainted with Quinceañera celebrations in order to understand the movie. The movie is self-explanatory in this issue, and as I mentioned before, it does possess an amazing universality despite the folklore.
This is movie is very enjoyable, and well worth watching!