Diego Campos (René Alvarado) lives in a conservative suburb of East LA, and is in an unhappy relationship with his closeted real estate agent boyfriend Pablo (David Berón). The pair finally decide to split after Diego has had enough of playing a Mexican immigrant in Pablo's fetish games, only for Pablo to woo Diego's nymphomaniac aunt Bianca (Gladys Jimenez). Diego helps his grandmother Sara (Irene DeBarri) run the family restaurant and hides his gay relationships from his traditional Latino family. He plans to move away and open an upscale Mexican restaurant in Phoenix.
It's the perfect time to be single and out in East LA, as the neighborhood suddenly becomes the hot spot for young gay men, and soon Diego's eyes start to roam as an influx of gay white men move into the neighborhood and begin gentrifying it. When the dashing Wesley Henderson (Steve Callahan) and his outrageous boyfriend Jonathon Webber (Cory Schneider) move in next door, tensions start to grow. Jonathon is terrified by the Hispanic locale and makes ludicrous claims about his impending gay-bashing.
Wesley, meanwhile, falls head over heels for neighbor Diego. The attraction between Wesley and Diego is immediate and electric, forcing both men to reexamine their state of affairs. Serious questions arise about the pressures of an inter-racial gay relationship, including malevolent ex-boyfriends and the discouragement of disapproving family members. Hilarious, feel-good and scorchingly hot from start to finish, "East Side Story" tells an uplifting tale about loving thy neighbour--and not getting caught. It's a well-balanced movie and although the outcome is not certain until the end, everything works out.
This is an entertaining comedic drama, a creative and intriguing look at life in East LA that opens with a mouth-watering twist. The main character performs very well and there are some show stealing moments from the supporting cast: his over the top aunt, the Hispanic dog-walking homophobic chef, and the bigoted campy gay neighbor. One viewer commented, "Very enjoyable, well-acted, well-scripted romantic movie! It's hard to believe this is Mr. Portugal's debut film. It doesn't hurt that the movie is chock-full of really cute actors, with enough shirtless scenes and quick rump shots that titillate." Steven Cahill composed the original music. The screenplay was written by Charo Toledo and Carlos Portugal, who also directed.
