Down for Life

In 2010 South Central L. A., Anjelica "Rascal" Soto (Jessica Romero) is Latina teen struggling with family life and a violent neighborhood. This is based on the true story of teen gang leader Lesly Castillo. The film style is cinéma vérité. The lead actress has her stoic non-professional acting style. The combination can make this a grind to watch. Then there are the moments of devastating explosions. The movie goes from 0 to 60 in a flash and back again. It doesn't get more shocking than Vanessa. Danny Glover and Kate del Castillo deliver good veteran performances. Snoop Dogg is in here too. The issue is the non-acting lead. It's a very indie move. It doesn't always work. It's like catching lightning in a bottle. In a perfect film, Jessica becomes an exciting new acting prodigy. This is her one and only acting credit. There's a reason for that.