User Reviews

Perhaps it's because many people are not into a story about an illegal immigrant and the fact that he was easily overtaken by greed or that Lola's promiscuity led to an abortion... There were a lot of other complex topics in this movie including a dysfunctional family and dishonesty in relationships, but the movie combined the various topics well. And while this movie shows the downside of people, it also shows redemption is possible when you open your heart and eyes to the truth. Very well scripted and acted. Definitely not a movie for people were looking for a car chase scene or martians coming from outer space, but if you're looking for a good drama, this is a good choice.

ESL is a well written and executed film. It has a gritty feel with well developed characters and a plot that does not follow the traditional Hollywood or Indie film cookie cutter arc. Better looking on screen than most indie films which have seen release. This film deserves to be made available to an audience. I saw a screening at the LA Latin Film festival and watched as an audience of over 1000 people were swept up in a story that took us all on a ride we will not soon forget. ESL surpasses similar films of the "Latin American experience" genre such as "Real Women have curves", "Girl Fight" and "Tortilla Soup" with actors who are new to me such as Kuno Becker but whom stand out as talent that will make a mark on the film industry.

I had the pleasure to see it at the NY INT. LATINO FILM FESTIVAL 2006.I thought the story,acting ,directing and cinematography was definitely quality oriented. The problems of immigration are well depicted in this movie which helps raise awareness of the great need for reform of our immigration laws. Although independent and not from a major studio, it has great market value in our current political US state of affairs concerning immigration.Besides that ,KUNO alone is enough to want to see it in the theaters and later in DVD format....Kuno is on his way up...

This movie is definitely worth seeing!

I am looking forward to seeing more independent films of this caliber from the director and producers.

CLAUDE LANIADO,actor

As someone with strong ties to Mexico and loved ones who face the harsh realities of immigration, it pains me to have to write this review. ESL is an L.A.-based indie film about Bolívar, a 21-year-old immigrant who leaves his pregnant wife at home in Mexico and comes to L.A. to find a job and send her money, only to find that the materialism of American culture is transforming him into a monster that he refuses to become thanks to his superior Mexican moral values. In terms of quality, character development/depth, and the logic of the diagetic events, think of it more as a bad soap opera than as a movie. It's completely based on stereotypes, simplistic and predictable metaphors, and in general is an insultingly dumbed-down sub-form of movie: melodrama at its most self-indulgent. From Bolívar's mid-movie changing of his crucifix for a much flashier and more expensive gold chain to his female counterpart's mother's exaggerated reliance on cigarettes during times of emotional distress, you'll find yourself asking how this movie made it out of any studio, no matter how independent.

As if this weren't enough, it is by far the worst offender I have seen so far among newer Mexican-themed films (I say "themed" because the film is actually American) in its explicit machismo and subjugation of women, which of course goes hand-in-hand with blistering homophobia, all of which are portrayed as noble Mexican "values." The protagonist's masculinity is called into question when his friend learns that the money he makes comes from dancing in his underwear at a club: a job that is normally reserved for "women." The disgust with which his friend tells him this and Bolívar's militant reaction only confirm that to become "like women" is the most immoral and humiliating thing that can happen to men. Bolívar displays repeated outbursts of irrational violence (randomly attacking the club owner who gave him the job after Bolívar himself admitted he was willing to "do anything," for example), cheats on his wife, and makes a habit of lying to her over the phone, but this is all justified by his role as a victim in American society and his masculine "nature": his needs as a "man." The film wallows in the self-indulgent and poorly-executed poetics of victimization and the self-righteous and abrasively offensive reinscription of the centuries-old myth of "what it means to be a man" (and a Mexican one at that). Perhaps a shorter and much better summary would be this: it's like a misogynistic high school student wrote and directed this movie. While the film attempts to construct Mexican masculinity (and therefore, Mexican identity), the clear end result is an insult to Mexican cinema, American cinema, independent cinema, and to anyone who sees it.

Generally speaking movies about poor struggling immigrants (the leftists running Hollywood can't seem to sympathize enough with their plight) do not attract my interests. I'm not to big on bleeding heart writers and directors who never met an illegal they didn't like. That said, imagine my surprise when I started to watch this film on television and like it very much! I was first pleased by the reality of the characters. They seemed like real people with real problems. Next, I found the two principal actors likable, flaws and all. Since I didn't know any of the actors--famous or not--I didn't have any preconceived notions about their abilities. They all fit their parts fine as far as I could see. Then I enjoyed the intertwining of the party girl and the male stripper in the ESL class and out of it. The writers did provide a plausible happy end so that wasn't hard to accept. Finally, the actors spoke clearly so I could understand when they were speaking Spanish as well as English. I'm not going to rush out an buy the DVD, but if this movie is on television again, I will gladly watch it so pick up on the missed details.

This is such a substandard, poorly acted, written and directed with no sense of reality. I have no idea how did it get any award.

People in ESL classes look more like upper class Mexicans, the main actor himself look more like a substandard American playboy who pretends not knowing any English. Dialogs are empty, saying too many things and slightly reminds you of a bad Latin American soap operas with exaggerated acting. Posh mother cleaning house just to find "pregnancy test", far from reality. I personally liked her wig and erotic sleeping attire near the end of the movie.

In fact i don't wanna waste any time talking about this movie, I am highly disappointed with this movie.

Recently I saw this movie at the San Diego Latino Film Festival and I didn't like it. the thing is that I didn't care for the story (if there is one) for me it's was way too boring. First of all Maria Conchita Alonso is a famous for just being famous, but she is NOT a good actress or worst yet she is not an actress And I don't get Kuno Becker I never liked him when he used to do telenovelas and I don't like him now, he's not handsome or talented or nothing at all. So don't waste your money with this movie, it's not worth it, I think it's time for the latinos to do other kind of movies, something we can all feel proud, and stay away from this kind of stories that are just boring