Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Barrio Boys is a drama about a closeted Latino and the complexities that arise when he finds himself interested in another man.
Quique (Dennis Garcia) lives in Brooklyn, NY and works with his friend, Rafa (Pierre Jean Gonzalez), at a local barber shop. They often hang out with their mutual friends, Cuz (Keet Davis), a local homophobic drug dealer with anger issues, and Jorge (Manny Ureña), who is unemployed and worships Cuz.
While playing basketball with Rafa and Cuz, Quique sees Kevin (James Physick) walking down the street. Rafa and Cuz get into an argument, Cuz tosses the basketball over the fence, and Kevin catches it. Quique takes the opportunity to ask nicely for the ball, but Cuz interrupts, gets aggressive, and tells Kevin to toss it back, then calls him a bitch. Kevin kicks the ball far into the court and walks off.
One day Quique’s mother (Nancy Ticotin) is walking home with two grocery bags, one of them breaks. Kevin sees her and stops to help. He picks up the spilled groceries and walks with her, carrying the broken bag and the items that will no longer fit. They talk and she invites him to dinner to show her appreciation.
When Quique comes home, he’s surprised to see Kevin. Kevin and Quique exchange a few knowing glances as Quique’s grandmother and sister join them. Everybody is having a good time until Cuz drops in to visit, sees Kevin and starts acting tough. Kevin leaves, but that isn’t the last time Quique and Kevin get together. They’ve met on common ground and their interest in each other is piqued.
Some Thoughts:
Barrio Boy begins by showing Quique’s day to day activities. Because of this, we get a good sense as to who he is. But since the majority of Quique’s interactions are outside of the central cast, it makes the film feel as if it has no direction.
Director Dennis Shinners does a good job laying out the story for the viewer to decipher. This is most evident when it comes to sexual identity. Kevin is shown having sex with a woman while also being interested in Quique. There is no label attached to him, he’s simply being himself and that’s all we need; Quique’s sexuality is handled the same way.
The racial issue between Kevin and Cuz could be delved into a bit more. The scenes between Kevin and Cuz have the intensity they need; the theme just has to be explored a bit more to bring it together.
Cuz is clearly the bad guy. His character has some insecurities that come through, which give him depth. The negative effect on the people around him is evident and Davis does an excellent job bringing him to life.
Quique’s family is supportive of him, so it’s not clear why he feels the need to live in the closet. If this had been touched on in some of the meandering scenes at the beginning, the story would have come together sooner.
The acting overall is decent, and the characters all feel genuine, which makes up for some of the film’s shortcomings.
The Final Verdict:
Barrio Boy is an interesting film despite not fully exploring its subject. The beginning feels a bit directionless, but it gets moving once it comes together.