LA MISSION

US, 2009, 117 minutes, Colour.
Benjamin Bratt, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Erika Alexander.
Directed by Peter Bratt.

La Mission is an interesting look at the Hispanic community of San Francisco, specifically in the area known as Mission.

The film was written and directed by Peter Bratt, noted for films looking at issues of race and indigenous people in the United States. He is the brother of the star, Benjamin Bratt. Talisa Soto, Benjamin Bratt’s wife, also appears in the film.

The film’s focus is Benjamin Bratt’s Che Rivera, a man in his forties, recovering alcoholic, having spent time in jail, bringing up his teenage son after the death of his wife. He has many good friends as well as an extended family. He spends a lot of time repairing cars, making them look particularly beautiful – and on Friday nights, the extended family drives around San Francisco to a family gathering.

While this aspect of the film offers a great deal of hope, there is suddenly a significant theme when it emerges that Che’s son Jes is homosexual and in a relationship with a young man. This is alien to the culture and the religion of the very macho Che. There is a dispute with his son, his son moves out to stay with relatives. Che has to come to terms with this reality, relenting somewhat when his son returns home, but still unable to deal with the situation.

Jeremy Ray Valdez is sympathetic as Jes, struggling for his identity, keeping the secret from his father, suddenly outed, ridiculed in the neighbourhood, trying to get his father to understand.

The other significant figure is a neighbour in the apartment building, Lena played by Erika Alexander. She clashes with Che, is a social worker, supports Jes, gradually helps Che to understand himself better, take more positive stands. However, when Jes is gay-bashed, he spends time in hospital in a coma. Che is very attentive but clashes with the young man with whom Jes has a relationship. Lena sees this and is dismayed.

After some soul-searching, Che going down into the depths and drinking again, he comes to some kind of understand and making peace and reconciliation.

This is a strong film, very good for audiences to appreciate the San Francisco Hispanic culture, as well as themes of gender, identity and sexual orientation.

1. The film immersing its audience in San Francisco, the Mission area, the Hispanic community, the characters?

2. The work of Peter Bratt? His interests? Supported by Benjamin Bratt?

3. Audience sympathy, insight into the way of life, the world of crime, the issues of money, relationship? The transition of the Hispanic community into the 21st century?

4. The theme of the gay son, the issue of homosexuality in this Hispanic context, Catholic context, traditions, social, religious, macho? Secrecy? Outing? Gay-bashings, anger?

5. Che as the focus of the film, Benjamin Bratt’s presence and performance, in his mid-forties, his experience of life, reminiscing about his life when he was young, his parents, getting into trouble, the friends, crime? His spending time in jail? His love for his wife, her death? His son, the extended family? The group and their work on the cars, painting, design? The Friday gatherings? The bonds between these men? Their place in the neighbourhood?

6. Jes, his age, study, serious-minded, his studies, his experience of himself and his orientation, visiting Jordan, the relationship with him? His deceiving his father, going out, going to the club, the photos? His father finding them, his father’s anger, the fight between the two, his leaving, staying with his uncle and aunt? The dispute in the street, his being outed, the humiliation? His continuing his studies, with his uncle, the cousins, a happy life? Going back to his father, the possibility of sharing, having a meal with his father, his father not understanding, his father’s expressions of his not understanding? The defiance against his father? His father disowning him? The local criticisms, his being bashed, in hospital, the coma, his father visiting him, Jordan’s visit – and Che and his threatening Jordan and choking him? Lena seeing this?

7. Lena, touchy, the clashes with Che, the law, his car, her bike? Their discussions, his attempted apology? Lena and her support of Jes? The bike, Che fixing it, painting it? The meal, talking, self-revelation? The sexual encounter? Lena breaking it? Being formal? But her help, her dismay at seeing Che threaten Jordan in the hospital?

8. The characters of the men, fixing the cars, their way of talking, friendship, their past?

9. The uncle and the aunt, genial, the little cousin, their support of Jes, the visit to the hospital? The uncle and his frank talking with Che?

10. Che, his collapse, the time passing, the beard, drinking, wandering?

11. Jes’s graduation, his joy, the uncle and aunt and family, their support? His father in the background?

12. Lena, her advice, her reflections about self-esteem and respect?

13. The strength of the film in its plot, delineation of characters and their depth, the dramatic interactions? Themes?