Alex wrote on 05/31/2010:

I saw this movie friday at my local theatre in Bakersfield,CA, never thought it would came to my town. Being latino, catholic and gay this movie was well produced and alot of attention to people life's. La Mission is a movie I would buy and have in my collection. Benjamin Bratt did a good job has a father and ex-gangster.

Amos Lassen wrote on 05/29/2010:

“La Mission”

Tradition, Family and Rage

Amos Lassen

It is not often that we get a film of brilliance like we get in “La Mission” and this is all due to Benjamin Bratt who does a beautiful, or should I say, gorgeous, job piece of acting in his portrayal of a complex, tortured conservative Latino who is pushed to emotional boundaries. Bratt is Che Rivera, a guy growing up in the mission district of San Francisco who faces the toughness of survival. He is powerful and masculine and respected throughout the area. He builds car and has worked hard to redeem himself and his life after having been an alcoholic and a felon. He wants to do right for his son, Jes, who he has raised alone since the death of his wife. However redemption is not easy especially when he discovers that Jes is gay and he is tested. He realizes that he has to now embrace a side of him he has never known.
When Che discovers that Jes is gay we see a violent, emotional dark and powerful scene. We watch two men who obviously love each other react violently, Jes is his father’s younger self—he is strong and is not willing to compromise what he believes and he is like his father who holds on to traditional values. We get a look at a culture many of us have never seen and here is the beauty of the film. Jeremy Ray Valdez plays Jes and he is a true revelation as an actor. His range of emotions is incredible and he matches Bratt’s beautiful performance.
The film is extremely powerful and beautifully detailed as it shows us what goes on in one segment of society. The movie is a labor of love for Peter Bratt who wrote and directed it and his brother, Benjamin who stars. We feel their nostalgia for the San Francisco they grew up in the 1960’s.
I have read mixed reviews of the film. Some feel it is too “teachy” but I feel that those critics miss the point entirely. Many of us have little knowledge of what goes on in Latino/American culture and here is a chance to see. Everything is not resolved neatly at the end but we do see realities of life with different perceptions. These is nothing false in the film and the entire cast is excellent. The colors are rich and the music is perfect. I could go on and on but I won’t because I want you to experience this yourself.