I am a 305lifer who is all about the "U" or in my case more about the "FIU" who in my younger years lived it up in the SB (u know what that is, clue: where Lebron took his talents), the CG (where the U is at, Coral Gables), and the other CG (the cocoloco Mia locale even though its not that loco anymore, Coconut Grove). So I will try to be objective as possible and not give the home field advantage credit to my review on this Miami tale. "Magic City Memoirs" is a respectable freshman effort written and directed by young Miamian filmmaker Aaron J. Salgado. The film revolves on the teen lives of three Miami catholic high school students who are not exactly sin in sin. They divulge into sex, drugs, and hip hop which are common worships not only to Miami teens but to many nationwide adolescents. The three 305 amigos consists of: Mikey Acosta, an all-star high school shortstop who is pondering the decision whether to enter the MLB draft or sign up at the U on a baseball scholarship; Then we have Angel Suarez Jr., the good-looking popular student who feels the grueling pressure of being the son of the Mayor of Coral Gables; and then there is Stok, the short-tempered semi-gangster stocked with plenty of drugs and thievery who is not exactly the poster boy of "D.A.R.E." or "Youth Crime Watch". The aforementioned Miami vices definitely do partake in the reckless behaviors of these three within the film's narrative. Their relationships with their families are also explored with the familiar themes that familias with teens have to go through. I do commend Salgado for directing the piece with the authenticity of the lives of reckless teenagers no matter if they attend public or private schools. However, Salgado visualized "Magic City Memoirs" as if those reckless behaviors were only exclusive to Miami teens, and his script was real at times but at others a bit too sensationalized. Nevertheless, Salgado is a young Miami filmmaker who has a bright future ahead of him; and as a fellow Miamian, I will be rooting for his success. No tengo pena decir que Gustavo Penna's magical cinematography of the magic city in "Magic City Memoirs" was central to the story and was absolutely 305-breathtaking. If you are a Miamian (whether you love Miami or are sick of Miami), you will be moved by the Penna's misc-en-scene cinematography of "Magic City Memoirs". The youthful acting ensemble of the movie was not exactly a thespian masterpiece but it was quite solid considering these are novice actors. So acting kudos goes out to JR Villareal as Mikey, Michael Cardelle as Angel, and Andres Dominguez as Stok. Also, I must memoir on some nice supporting turns from Nestor Serrano as Mayor Angel Suarez, Julio Oscar Mechoso (who was brilliant in "The Lost City") as Alejandro Acosta (Mikey's dad), and Dominik Garcia-Lorido as Veronica Suarez (Angel's sister and Mikey's crush). By the way there is a Dominik effect here, because the movie's executive producer is Dominik's dad, or better known as the Godfather of Cuban-American acting, none other than the great Andy Garcia. In all, this cautionary tale will hit home to many Miamians. And even if you are not from the 305, I still think it warrants a cinematic trip to visit the "Magic City Memoirs". **** Good
