"Lowriders" is a solid redemption drama wrapped in a celebration of a car culture that frankly doesn't often get the respect and attention it deserves. With all the fast and furious stuff going on out there, it's a breath of fresh air to just appreciate the art of the low and slow.
Directed by Ricardo de Montreuil, set against the backdrop of the lowrider society in Los Angeles, Southern California, Gabriel Chavarria plays a talented young graffiti artist, Danny, who's caught between the lowrider world inhabited by his old school father (Demian Bichir) and his ex-con brother (Theo Rossi). Co-starring Eva Longoria, Melissa Benoist, and Tony Revolori.
Last year you had a look at L.A. from the much vibrant musical point of view through "La La Land," well, "Lowriders" gives you a different angle, and not the stereotypical gang turf war either. It's a clash between father and sons, about sins of the past and what they define as self-expression. I think the story blends the car culture and the family drama really well, the mix of those two makes sense in this film, and it speaks about the characters as well. There's plenty of conflict to go around, well-performed by all the actors involved.
You don't have to come from that background or from that neighborhood or you don't necessarily even have to know much about cars to be able to relate to "Lowriders." It's one of those situations in which you can always tell beauty when you see one, whatever shapes and sizes, and so that's the kind of art that "Lowriders" offers. A lot of people look down on graffities, some of their reasons may be justified, but a lot of the times they also don't take the time to truly look at the work and try to understand what it's trying to say. Street artists may not have the same reputation that gallery or exhibit artists do but that kind of freedom is what "Lowriders" puts a spotlight on. It's a film that does the culture justice.
-- Rama's Screen --
