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IMDbPro

East Side Story

  • 2006
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
East Side Story (2006)
ComedyRomance

The arrival of Anglo newcomers to an East L.A. Latino neighborhood rocks the quiet world of a handsome young local who is torn between the family restaurant and life as a big city chef.The arrival of Anglo newcomers to an East L.A. Latino neighborhood rocks the quiet world of a handsome young local who is torn between the family restaurant and life as a big city chef.The arrival of Anglo newcomers to an East L.A. Latino neighborhood rocks the quiet world of a handsome young local who is torn between the family restaurant and life as a big city chef.

  • Director
    • Carlos Portugal
  • Writers
    • Carlos Portugal
    • Charo Toledo
  • Stars
    • René Alvarado
    • David Berón
    • Gladise Jiminez
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    1.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Carlos Portugal
    • Writers
      • Carlos Portugal
      • Charo Toledo
    • Stars
      • René Alvarado
      • David Berón
      • Gladise Jiminez
    • 22User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos4

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    Top cast37

    Edit
    René Alvarado
    René Alvarado
    • Diego Campos
    David Berón
    David Berón
    • Pablo Morales
    Gladise Jiminez
    Gladise Jiminez
    • Bianca Campos
    • (as Gladise Jimenez)
    Steve Callahan
    Steve Callahan
    • Wesley Henderson
    Cory Schneider
    Cory Schneider
    • Jonathan Webber
    • (as Cory Alan Schneider)
    Irene DeBari
    • Sara Campos
    • (as Irene DeBari)
    Luis Accinelli
    • Don Rogelio
    Yelyna De Leon
    Yelyna De Leon
    • Tiffany
    Luis Raul
    • Salvador
    Jason Kordelos
    • Lowell
    Ruben Rabasa
    Ruben Rabasa
    • Efrain Morales
    Andrea Zafra
    • Janice Morales
    • (as Andrea Levin Zafra)
    Michael Cassidy
    • Dennis
    Michael Cormier
    • Dan
    Cris Franco
    • Mr. Martinez
    Rob Hudson
    • Neighbor #1
    Clark McCown
    • Neighbor #2
    Dan Hess
    • Neighbor #3
    • Director
      • Carlos Portugal
    • Writers
      • Carlos Portugal
      • Charo Toledo
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews22

    6.61.6K
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    Featured reviews

    6rjnilmandir

    Cute Movie ... If A Bit Uneven

    East Side Love Story is about Diego Campos and his quest to get out of East L.A. and become a chef in his own restaurant. Along the way he finds that sometimes to get away from home, you just need to stay where you are.

    First off, the good parts. I liked the acting and the set design. The restaurant in particular reminded me of some of the places I grew up eating in. To me, that's a bonus.

    The acting, while heavy handed at times, didn't seem devoid of heart. René Alvarado (Diego) seemed to finally find his voice near the end of the movie. The rest of the cast were fun, if stereotypical, parts. Pablo, the closeted boyfriend. Wesley, the new neighbor with a problem. Bianca, the crazy aunt (or sister, depending on the writer). The understanding and wise maternal figure, Sara. All played to the fullest and farthest the actor could go.

    The bad parts: The acting, while good, was deeply uneven. Most of the actors tended to "sell to the cheap seats" instead of going for smaller actions.

    The writing was manic and led to uneven pacing. The whole back and forth between two characters, while building drama, was kind of tedious.

    The cinematography. Again, while not terrible, shots seemed to go for more group shots than anything else. Reactions were off camera. In particular a scene between Diego and Westley left all of Diego's dialog being delivered while the back of his head was to camera.

    The worst offence is the lighting. Maybe it was the copy I watched, but I couldn't see what the hell was going on some of the time. It honest to god looked like it was being lit by a flashlight ... with a dying battery.

    All in all though, I would watch it again. Though, not without a glass of wine first.
    10bammer47

    Best LGBT-focused story in film we've seen in the past couple of years

    My partner & I saw "East Side Story" at NYC's NewFest in June 2006.

    The movie is a well constructed take-off on the Italian-Puerto Rican ethnic conflict in the musical "West Side Story". Instead of the historical focus on those two ethnic groups in NYC, ESS dramatizes the current fault line between middle class Latino residents in LA's Echo Park neighborhood and well-off gays & lesbians who are buying up their homes, gentrifying their area, and threatening to displace them. The specific characters and basic storyline are believable and the movie entertains you throughout the movie.

    Of the 15 or so films we screened at that NYC LGBT festival last year & this month, "East Side Story" was by far our favorite (We also liked "Forgiving the Franklins", "Coffee Date", "Outing Riley" and "Bubble", a gripping but HEAVY film by the Israeli director of "Yossi & Jagger".).

    Question: does anyone have an idea of when / if "East Side Story" will appear in (art) theaters OR be released on DVD? We'd really like to see it again and, if possible, purchase a copy.

    If not, I'll contact the NewFest organizers to see if they can answer this question.
    10MattNYC

    What a Way to Break Into Film! Great Date Movie!

    Very enjoyable, well-acted, well-scripted romantic movie! It's hard to believe this is Mr. Portugal's debut film. It doesn't hurt that the movie is chock-full of really cute actors, with enough shirtless scenes and quick rump shots that titillate. ;)

    Great characters--almost all the main characters were fully developed. Unlike many gay films, some female characters were given genuine roles and they soared with them. There was definitely a chemistry between ALL of the actors and the movie flowed very well.

    Standout performances by René Alvarado as Diego and Irene DeBarri as his grandmother.

    This is the best film I have seen so far this year at New Fest in NYC.
    6Franco-LA

    Excellent - Just Not Incredibly So

    This is a very technically well-made film with good pacing and overall good acting, with standout performances from the main females and most of the main male actors. The main problem with the film is the extent to which is borrows from stereotypical sitcom television conventions, down to the nicely packaged happy ending. Boy meets closeted boy, boy dumps closeted boy, boy meets new gay couple on block, one half of the gay couple cheats on partner with boy, purely dramatic devices causes a break-up (which in typical television fashion, the couple didn't actually belong together - not the like the boy and cheating partner do), till finally, again true to TV conventions, all is resolved and happily so, that by the time the end title credits roll, boy ends up with the right half of the couple.

    Don't get me wrong, it's a well-made film with some excellent performances. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser and it's sure to be enjoyed by nearly any gay-identified audience member who views it. Apparently, the distributors didn't see any cross-over appeal as the movie seems to be headed to a DVD release without even a cursory theatrical release in some of the major markets where it did not make into (or which do not have) a gay and lesbian film festival.

    Definitely worth renting, once the DVD is released, apparently in the next few months, and perhaps even owning. However, comparing this to Brokeback Mountain is definitely not appropriate.
    6paulclaassen

    Funny, with plenty of eye candy!

    'East Side Story' is a cheesy gay romantic comedy. There are some truly funny moments - mostly thanks to Bianca (wonderfully portrayed by Gladise Jiminez), who happens to by one of my favourite characters.

    The story revolves around a chef, Diego (Rene Alvarado), who works for his family in their restaurant. His family doesn't know he is gay, but when he meets and falls in love with Wesley (Steve Callahan), he realizes life indeed has a deeper meaning. Only problem is, Wesley is trapped in a loveless relationship with Jonathan, and Jonathan is jealous and possessive over Wesley. (Steve Callahan is SO handsome with such a great body. He quite simply is the most delicious thing on two legs!!)

    Many funny moments arise (among other things...). Bianca's relationship with Diego's ex, Pablo, is also hilarious! There's also enough eye candy here to make you drool all the way! The only downside to the movie, was the poor lighting (at times). I found many scenes way too dark. Pity.

    Nevertheless, 'East Side Story' is a funny, thoroughly enjoyable comedy sure to entertain. And, if you look closely, you'll even find a few life lessons here too.

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The restaurant in the movie Tio Pepe's is the same restaurant featured on the show East Los High. Since the director for both is Carlos Portugal.
    • Quotes

      Diego Campos: Why don't you join me for dinner?

      Wesley Henderson: I don't want to impose.

      Diego Campos: You're not imposing.

      Wesley Henderson: I know you weren't expecting me.

      Diego Campos: No, stay. It's no bother.

      Wesley Henderson: You sure I won't be a bother?

      Bianca Campos: [from another room] Oh, stay already!

      Wesley Henderson: Who's that?

      Diego Campos: That's my crazy aunt. We keep her locked up.

    • Connections
      References West Side Story (1961)

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    FAQ18

    • How long is East Side Story?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 7, 2006 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Mexico
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Priča sa istočne strane
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Into Action Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $500,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 28m(88 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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