Don't Let Me Drown

Many people may be quick to dismiss a coming of age flick as overly melodramatic, perhaps to the point of being considered sappy. Such comments are usually at least partially true since the defining elements of the genre are conducive to so an analysis. Since the entire story is inherently concerned with an overly tumultuous period of a person’s life during which hormones and peer pressure seem to conspire to make life miserable. Perhaps one reason audiences may publically deride these films is those in the audience at the age in question are too involved with their own coming of age drama to care about what is presented on the screen and older viewers are relived to be done with that time in life to want to revisit it. the fact that people continue to flock to these films as evident by their constant presence in the box office demonstrates that people do want to see them; the younger viewers for reassurance that others have experienced what they are feeling and for the older set a reminder that no matter how painful that period may have been there are usually a number of cherished memories there as well. Another factor at work here is something a coming of age movie shares with great literature; it is the obligation of each generation to reinvent, reshape the details of the story putting their own spin on it to make it their own. An example of this is the recent release from Image Entertainment; Don’t Let Me Drown’. While the saying about not judging a book by its cover may be generally true there is a lot of truth to that whole judging a book by its cover bromide but in this case the cover for the DVD does reveal a lot about the film. The young couple ensures us that this movie will touch on young romance while the term ‘post 9-11’ tells us that the story will most likely touch on a sufficient number of ‘modern’ and ‘relevant’ topics to grab a socially motivated demographic.

As with many emotionally charged subjects the best venue to depict the story is through independent cinema. Sure the big studios are capable of producing a film that is sensitive to a national tragedy but in a case like this a relatively new cast and crew more readily experiment with the medium than their studio entrenched peers. With this film the memories of that terrible day are forced to return to our immediate consciousness; a ploy that can easily back fire. While the cries of ‘Too Soon’ are not as relevant as previous held this is still a hot button topic for most and a tricky foundation for a teenage love story. The opening scene of a group of Hispanic boy on their bikes peddling through the graffiti adorned streets of a Brooklyn neighborhood while hip-hop music scores the moment may immediately turn off some older viewers. A bit of patience is required here; don’t jump to conclusions so quickly. What follows is a thought out and well constructed film with an underlying story worthy of being told.

For budding auteur Cruz Angeles this is his first time tackling a feature length movie. He has a couple of shorts already to his credit; an excellent way to prepare for a full length film. So many independent film makers are so anxious to create a full movie that they eschew the benefits of working up to that achievement through the experience provided in a short film. The story here is generally well balanced although the romance is just a bit contrived. It is necessary since the movie does revolve around some vitally important issues including the way the clean-up efforts undertaken around ground zero resulted in a deleterious effect on the health of the workers. Eventually Angeles strike a workable balance between a continuing tragedy and the continuation of life as seen through the vantage point of blossoming young love. Superficially it may appear that Angeles focuses too much on the overly idealized romance but I saw that as a large part of the message of the film. Even in the literal ashes of one of the most terrible moments in American history life goes on. The young do not have to forget the past but it is their responsibility to move on from it. Love emerging from the remnants of so an ultimate expression of hate is a powerful message; one that ultimately can bring hope to the audience. This becomes a film about juxtaposition and contrasts. The innocence of first love amidst the setting of a working class neighborhood in New York City provides another means to revisit an age old theme of star crossed lovers.

Lalo (E.J. Bonilla) is about 15 as the story opens. He rides his bike with a small group of his friends holding his own with the typical banter filled with adolescent male put downs and quips. With his front tire flat he goes home where a report about the aftermath of 9-11 is on the television. This places the time frame for the story about a month after those horrible events. Lalo is American born of Mexican parents; a point of some chiding among his friends. His father had worked in the towers before they fell and now spends his days working in the toxic environment of Ground Zero. After a death of her sister in the towers Stephanie (Gleendilys Inoa) is moved out of lower Manhattan to Brooklyn by her family. Stephanie is a third generation Dominican and therefore in different parts of the local Hispanic social hierarchy. Some generational differences are brought out; the pair was introduced by a mutual friend but her father is abusively against the concept of her dating a Mexican. It may seem odd but another well constructed plot point here is prejudice within a group that is considered homogeneous to outsiders. Some outside a multicultural area like Brooklyn may mistakenly group everyone of Hispanic descent as one group but the fact is there is an amazing degree of diversity within that community. Within that context Mexican and Dominican are as far apart as Montague and Capulet.

The direction is excellent conveying a style that demonstrates a keen eye for detail and a lot of potential that will be a pleasure to watch as it develops in future movies. despite the richness of the location shooting Angeles does not get distracted remaining focused on what is important; the emotional reactions to the situation. This film was well received on the independent film festival circuit including a nomination for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. This is not your typical love story but it does quietly get its point across with style and grace.

Posted 11/09/2010