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A grand jury prize-winner at this year's Sundance Film Festival, Quinceanera (defined as a young Latina's celebration of her 15th birthday) is an earnestly performed yet ultimately unsatisfying cultural observation of life in echo Park, a suburb near downtown Los Angeles.
The movie concerns the journey of a 14-year-old, Magdalena (emily Rios), who, after getting pregnant, is forced to live with her gay cousin (Jesse Garcia) and elderly great-uncle Tio (Chalo Gonzalez), only to reassess her situation when they are all threatened with eviction. The directors establish a rich feel for place, as keen elements of street life—from graffiti artists tagging benches to street vendors interacting in Spanish and english—are all caught in lyrical compositions. And the lead performances by Rios and Garcia are especially strong and supple. Yet the film is hampered by an over-reliance on conventional plot devices (such as the uncle's death forcing the characters to confront or resolve their conflicts). Also, the film's short length and meandering pacing robs it of any durable resonance.