MI VIDA LOCA
(MY CRAZY LIFE)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 7.9
Date Released: 7/94 (varies) Running Length: 1:32 Rated: R (Language, violence, sexual situations)
Starring: Angel Aviles, Seidy Lopez, Jacob Vargas, Marlo Marron,
Jessie Borrego
Director: Allison Anders
Producers: Daniel Hassid and Carl-Jan Colpaert
Screenplay: Allison Anders
Cinematography: Rodrigo Garcia
Music: John Taylor
Released by Sony Pictures Classics
1992 saw the debuts of two incredible American filmmakers. The first, with his devastating, ultra-violent RESERVOIR DOGS, was Quentin Tarantino. The second, with a more low-key, yet no less effective effort, was Allison Anders. Her GAS FOOD LODGING possessed the refreshing quality of emotional honesty.
MI VIDA LOCA, the director's sophomore film, takes her into the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park, a community dominated by gangs, the likes of which has been portrayed in such diverse offerings as BOYZ 'N THE HOOD and BOUND BY HONOR (BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT). This is the female perspective of what it means to live in the inner city, where almost every girl has at least one child by the age of twenty-one, and where most homeboys of the same age are either dead or in prison.
MI VIDA LOCA allows a peek into the lives of several of the young Echo Park women, as gathered through Anders' interviews with the people who really live there. The two most prominent characters are Sad Girl (Angel Aviles) and Mousie (Seidy Lopez), a pair of friends who were inseparable until they both became involved with a smooth-talking drug dealer named Ernesto (Jacob Vargas). After each bore him a child, jealousy and betrayal drove a wedge between them which now threatens to ignite a bloody confrontation.
Then there's Giggles (Marlo Marron), an older homegirl who spent four years in prison because of the crimes of her dead boyfriend. After walking past the barred gates as a free woman, she decides to change the way she lives. No longer will she be in thrall to any man; self-reliance is her new creed.
The film is divided into three episodes (complete with their own opening title cards), each presenting a different story. While characters, plot elements, and themes are shared, Anders uses (and occasionally overuses) a variety of narrative perspectives (and voiceovers) to emphasize where one tale ends and another begins.
MI VIDA LOCA doesn't have the power of GAS FOOD LODGING, although both movies develop similar themes regarding the empowerment of women. One of the main problems here is that there are too many characters to develop, so none gets much in-depth presentation. As soon as the audience starts to relate to a person, there is a viewpoint shift. With this sort of gritty, near-documentary style, the most effective films focus the audience's empathy towards a small number of protagonists.
The abrupt ending is stunning, and recalls the kind of impact than Anders is capable of making. The voiceover at the time--"Women don't use weapons to prove a point. Women use weapons for love."--adds an extra dash of potency to the scene.
MI VIDA LOCA's insight into human nature is as keen as that of any other film with an inner city perspective, and this is a rare attempt to present the women's point-of-view. Anders has a keen eye and ear for details and dialogue. The movie presents life as it is, the good alongside the bad. The large number of characters offers the opportunity for greater variety, but their presence is also a diluting factor.
MI VIDA LOCA is worthwhile viewing, but it will not draw you as completely into Echo Park as GAS FOOD LODGING did into the world of truck stops and tumbleweeds.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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