Very well executed

Good concept, poorly executed.

Brilliant and touching

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

When NPR did a series of stories on gangs in Los Angeles, I remembered that I'd been meaning to see this film and found it streaming online. It was pretty disappointing, but not a complete waste of time. I'm not an expert on gangs, but I believe the other reviewer may be correct that this film is relatively realistic, and at the same time, it is not excessively graphic for a gang movie, focusing on various lives in the neighborhood.The worst part was definitely the acting. Some of the writing was painful too, but there were a few outstanding scenes. My favorite bit was a monologue (I think by Ernesto?) about the different feelings he gets (disgust, superiority, sexual arousal) from selling drugs to desperate whites. Certain characters like Blue Eyes and Puppet were also interesting, but otherwise the story was pretty weak. There was an interesting attempt at carrying a feminist message but it didn't really work for me. If anyone knows of a better film about Chicano gangs, let me know.

i loved this movie. It shows the life and struggles of young Hispanics growing up in the hood. With this even if it is not acted out to the best of other actors abilities, these actors are real. They may not know how to act very well, but they are true to the character. It shows that no matter how you begin your life you always have a choice and depending on the choice you make it can change your life forever. From gangs to drugs and even guns this movie takes you in the life of some harsh realities. With the good the bad and the babies they do the best they can with what they have. Survival is everything. Similar movies to see are Blood In Blod Out Bond By Honor, American Me, and raising Victor Vargas. These movies also focus on the ups and downs of gangster life.

I'm a newcomer to USA, having been here for less than 2 years. But I live in LA and not too far from where Echo Park is. My first exposure to the gangs was through Los Angeles Times; but later when I started tutoring a kid, I started learning lots of things about the gang culture. (No, the kid does not belong to any gang. To make sure that he won't, his parents enrolled him in Taek Won Do, Tennis and many other such things). For example, earlier I never knew that seemingly innocent graffiti on the walls signify gang territory, or that a bandanna of a certain color, or even a pair of Nike shoes of a certain make implies on'es affiliation to a particular gang. Similarly, a shoe hanging from a telephone wire conveys a message...and that as a kid, this kid was offered gang membership in his school from some of his classmates.I watched Mi Vida Loca with interest because of such background information I have. And to me, as an outsider, the movie seems to depict reality. Now, though my opinion in this matter perhaps does not make much difference, testimonials/reviews from people, who were themselves involved with gangs earlier, make me feel that this movie does indeed depict reality of the mean streets.It's obvious that some of he actors are not professionals, but who cares! In addition to the main actors, Bertila Damas (Rachel)'s face is so dignified, and she carries herself with so much grace that one almost forgets that she's depicting an ex gang-banger.Similarly, Nelida Lopez (Whisper) looks really so fresh and innocent that she instantly wins hearts.In my opinion, irrespective of what critics say about the movie,the kind of emotions this movie seems to have generated from the ex gang-members (read their reviews here) proves that this movie has succeeded in doing what it perhaps intended to do: to open people's eyes towards the harsh reality of gang life. And I think, that alone proves the worth of this movie.

This is a very interesting film about the girls who hang out with the gangbangers in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The focus shifts from one character to another, but the story is pretty much always told from the viewpoint of the girls.This movie is bittersweet to me because it documents much of the tragedy surrounding the senseless killings on the street but it also offers a vision of hope. The characters in the film are shown as real human beings - the director used a mix of actors and real people from the neighborhood. It's sad to see how innocent many of them are yet how easily the violence comes.Don't think this is just all shootings and beatings. It's mostly about the neighborhood and the people in it, and that's where the sweet in bittersweet comes from. Even amid all the tragedy, men and women hook up with each other, babies are born, life goes on. It's not the melodrama of "West Side Story", it's more a poignant look at life in the Echo.Production values lag at times but this is still a very fine movie and one of my favorites.