Hollywood ending (etc).

I did really enjoy the film, but I’m going to talk about what I didn’t like here. (Isn’t that what we Pomona students do??)

As much as Mosley wanted to show that things are not black and white I think he did really set it up for Álvarez to win for councilman. Throughout the beginning it seemed he was made to look like the innocent, down to earth, good hearted simple man. Lucinda, on the other hand was shown as ruthless, aggressive, and far less moral than her competitor. We see her in the bus with her campaign manager and although we get a glimpse into her idealistic past we also see her do nothing as the campaign manager throws out the other girl for not wanting to lie! When Álvarez won, it came as no surprise.

My second gripe with the film was the ending. One of the things I liked throughout the film was that the barbarism of politics (and of LA) was not glossed over. When Lucinda walked away from the park with a big smile on her face it seemed that Mosley’s reluctance to make things appear more idyllic than they actually are had been thrown out the window. The woman really cared about winning. We see this throughout the entire film. For her to be happy for her opponent in the end was far too much of a stretch for me. This is not a Hollywood film. I wish Mosley had forgone the tacked-on Hollywood ending.