LET'S HEAR WHAT STREET SAYS ABOUT STREET Latino Chicagoans tell their own story of a 1980s neighborhood which they perceive has declined from relative `brotherhood' to almost total distrust in one half of one generation: that's only 10 years! Entry level, brave indie effort, a few actors performing at level of high-school drama class. But this is not written/ produced/ directed by a bunch of Bimmer people with pools overlooking L.A. This is street talking street. So violence is minimalist (not minimal), unglamorous and brief; it comes out of nowhere like a thief in the night. Religion and family are strong influences. There is no strong, stylized rap lingo. Nobody wants to be a gangsta except the very stupid and the very dead. And fear is everywhere. Not sure the film proposes a solution; implied may be that the all we can do is be kind to one person at a time, make one decision for right at a time. Glad I saw it.
17 Reviews
Finally, a realistic portrayal of non-California Mexicans.
esoj121111 October 2003
When I rented Drive By on a lark, I was aware of its Chicago setting but bracing for the worst in terms of tired stereotypes like all Mexican-Americans say "ese" and "homes" and look like California cholos. I was very pleased to find the high level of authenticity in the portrayal of its characters, the two-flat residential settings, and the more realistic wardrobe of the main characters (3/4 leather coats). As a resident of Chicago, I felt they had most of the addresses right and the neighborhood flavors down. This is one of the first movies made for a Mexican-American/chicano/Latino audience that I felt I could identify with.
What the hell?
sidewinder0378 December 2004
This has to be the worst movie ever right next to Manos: Hands of
Fate. The story is lame, the action looks fake, the acting is awful, and the dialog is crap. The movie looks like it was made by high school students. I have yet to see the Once Upon a Time in the Hood (WOW what an original title guys!) which is the next movie by the same director,but I'm sure it's just as bad as this one. It really makes you wonder who the hell gives these non-creative filmmakers money to make crap like this. Oh and fellas if people tell you this movie is good they are just being nice. Thanks for making Chicago films look like crap. Try reading a book on film making. Have a Nice Day! :)
Fate. The story is lame, the action looks fake, the acting is awful, and the dialog is crap. The movie looks like it was made by high school students. I have yet to see the Once Upon a Time in the Hood (WOW what an original title guys!) which is the next movie by the same director,but I'm sure it's just as bad as this one. It really makes you wonder who the hell gives these non-creative filmmakers money to make crap like this. Oh and fellas if people tell you this movie is good they are just being nice. Thanks for making Chicago films look like crap. Try reading a book on film making. Have a Nice Day! :)
This is Wiggidy Wack. Its irritating and im from Chicago
wachamadoogle30 October 2007
First off I think the story line is lame, i mean the gang bangers in this movie look like they're 50. The main character doesn't convince me of his troubles. I grew up in a gang infused neighborhood in the heart of little village and had knowledge of other gang neighborhoods and let me tell you all, this ain't it real.
I mean its a try but nothing feels authentic, only the shots of the city which are used through out the movie and in my eyes have a neighborhood looking like 4 different ones. The shots indoors in the family home look decent and only because i bet they used someones actual house, so i cant really give credit in constructing anything, it was already there. Same way they should of used what ever neighborhood they were really trying to depict. which one? who knows. Its too much trying to bite a typical gang movie ala blood in blood out in a corny ass manner.
better luck next time.
I mean its a try but nothing feels authentic, only the shots of the city which are used through out the movie and in my eyes have a neighborhood looking like 4 different ones. The shots indoors in the family home look decent and only because i bet they used someones actual house, so i cant really give credit in constructing anything, it was already there. Same way they should of used what ever neighborhood they were really trying to depict. which one? who knows. Its too much trying to bite a typical gang movie ala blood in blood out in a corny ass manner.
better luck next time.
Excellent tight shooting; realism!
abiiba28 June 2002
This film accurately portrayed life in the neighborhoods of Chicago and spoke clearly of the realities of urban gang life. That the budget was extremely low and the picture quality so high, Frausto is to be commended. The direction flowed smoothly! I recommend it.
A good & realistic portrayal of Chicago's gang.
doreamor24 December 2004
The DVD cover got my attention so I rent it at Blockbuster. This was a very good and interesting film. I can relate to Ceasar's pain and confusion as he starts to lose his friends one by one to gang violence. I grew up on the same streets where this film was made and I was really happy to see my neighborhood. The message I got from this film was HOPE. There is light after the tunnel for those who want to get out of a gang. Being in a gang doesn't take you nowhere but to an early death. The movie made an impact on me and I hope they can show it at schools as an educational tool. I was surprised to learn in the commentary that the director was raised in Little Village. This is very inspiring to see someone from the neighborhood working in Hollywood. Keep up the good work and don't forget us little people from your hood.
A movie of a young boy who looks up to his brother who is a part of gang, but his brother has other hopes for his young brother and so we see through them both the struggle they both are faced with when bein
rickdog267 June 2002
I live in the city of Chicago where this movie was shot and I felt connected to it immediatetly. Its a story that is very realistic and with much truth, that as young kids we are faced with this struggle of violence. I am 13 years old and this movie made me realize that being a part of a gang is the wrong way to go in life and when being a part of a gang you can die. In terms of acting I truly enjoyed the acting of Felipe Camacho(Kiko) and Cesar because they told the story so well and being that it was based on a true story, I felt it and saw it on screen through their acting. I highly recommend that young kids watch this movie and give their comments because it gives a good message. I congratulate the Director and Writer of this movie and hope to see more of his projects.
Thanks for this great movie because it gave me a different outlook in life, a positive one.............
Thanks for this great movie because it gave me a different outlook in life, a positive one.............
Another excellent example of a good film done with little money.
jf-3124 December 2004
I had to buy "Drive By" after watching the excellent film "Once Upon A time In The Hood" by the same director. His unique style of capturing realism is apparent in this film, too. I truly enjoyed it, I really did because it comes from the heart. The movie has raw power and a honest feel of emotions. I felt the warm humility and the cold and tragic slice of life on the streets. This urban Chicago gritty look felt so brutality real and frightening poetic at the same time. That's an amazing feat to achieve on a low budget film. On the other hand, the story needed work but I didn't mind a bit because it felt so natural and real that always captured my attention. After seeing these two films, these filmmakers are for real and to be reckon with. I watched a lot of these digital low budget Latino and Black films done here in LA & NY and they're not that good or well done. To see talented Latino filmmakers from Chicago shooting on film and telling stories like it is in the hood deserves my greatest respects. Being Latino makes me proud of them and Chicago should be too. Good job guys! I look forward to your next movie and I hope Hollywood takes notice because I would love to see you do a film in LA. Que viva Hollywood latino!
Real and Revealing Tragedy
vandemarkb24 December 2004
This is quite an impressive low-budget gangster film with a typical story of violence and revenge you see in many similar films of the past few decades like Colors, Menace ii Society, etc., but with a sense of realism that is very striking. Down-to-earth acting, documentary-style direction, and a simple script avoid the melodrama and glamorization I have seen in similar films. The film takes you into the Latino ghetto and depicts many real-life social events that give a strong feel for the true culture of people living in this environment. The narrative seems somewhat loose, following the perspective of the innocent youthful protagonist as he is gradually pulled into the cycle of violence. The viewer is desensitized to the violence at roughly the same pace, which is a crowning achievement for this tragic story. Right around the time that the violence starts to feel like background noise is when he finally succumbs to it.
A low budget movie miracle!
lamanodeantonio5 April 2002
I have great respect for the film makers of this movie. You can see the guts, sacrifice and hard work put into "Drive By". I'm so impressed at how good this movie looks. The production design, visuals and cinematography really makes the movie and that is so refreshing to see. Director Frausto knows how to pick the right colors, locations and atmosphere for the entire picture. It gives us the sense of reality of the streets of Chicago. The movie is not great at all but good. There are definitely problems with the story. I wished they've continued more on Ceasar than the brawls, shootings and drug robberies that eventually brings down the movie. It seems that many of the actors have no prior acting experience and that constitutes for some of the bad acting people write about. But that didn't bother me at all because they seem to be playing themselves. It looked more natural than acting to me and that what makes the movie feel real. The undiscovered actors that play Kiko, Beto, and Junior have major talent and I would love to see them in more movies together. They definitely have presence and power. The writing could have been better because many of the dialogue sounds to forced and not to believable, but I did enjoy the movie for it's honesty and humbleness. For those reasons I do recommend "Drive By" and I commend Artisan Entertainment for distributing a film that has so much to give and to learn. I'm looking forward to Frausto's next movie and I'm sure he learned a lot from this movie. You only can go forward to betters things. Also, movie fans don't listen to the non sayers who obviously wished they could've done a movie like this especially when it was made by Latinos.
gritty coming of age story
arnis1227 January 2002
An impressive debut. This is a coming of age film about a young teen boy growing up in the rough streets of Chicago. His older brother is the local gang leader and drug dealer and the boy is both horrified and fascinated by the "hood " life style.
the film has it's problems. The editing and structure of the story are odd and a bit off, and the performances are a mixed bag. Felipe Camacho who plays the gang leader and Mario Acosta as the boy provide the best performances. Felipe is intense and well schooled in the school of Brando method acting, and the young Mario is the opposite:fresh faced, innocent and gentle. The rest of the performances range from decent to bad, but what do you expect from a film that cost peanuts. Yet ,with an extremely low budget(Blair witch was Titanic compared to this), director Frausto provides a film that looks like a million bucks. What's also impressive is the ambition. There are over 30 speaking parts and at times resembles Altman in the hood. The story has an almost epic sweep to it that one wishes he had the budget and opportunity to make it the 120-140 minute running time this story deserved. In the end, it's a fine film. The flaws are apparent, but so is the passion, love and brutality of life in the streets. It's also great, that it was shot in the gritty streets of Chicago, and has a midwest style all it's own. If I see another L.A. "Hey HOlmes!" film I'm going to scream. Also, Frausto is unfraid of the realities of life in the Hispanic barrio. He's unafraid to show you the truth unlike some elitist Latino circles in Los Angeles. Case in point, check out American Family on PBS. If you liked Mean Streets or Boys in the Hood, you'll enjoy this. And I look forward to the bright future of it's director, Juan J. Frausto, and some of the talented, still unkown actors.
the film has it's problems. The editing and structure of the story are odd and a bit off, and the performances are a mixed bag. Felipe Camacho who plays the gang leader and Mario Acosta as the boy provide the best performances. Felipe is intense and well schooled in the school of Brando method acting, and the young Mario is the opposite:fresh faced, innocent and gentle. The rest of the performances range from decent to bad, but what do you expect from a film that cost peanuts. Yet ,with an extremely low budget(Blair witch was Titanic compared to this), director Frausto provides a film that looks like a million bucks. What's also impressive is the ambition. There are over 30 speaking parts and at times resembles Altman in the hood. The story has an almost epic sweep to it that one wishes he had the budget and opportunity to make it the 120-140 minute running time this story deserved. In the end, it's a fine film. The flaws are apparent, but so is the passion, love and brutality of life in the streets. It's also great, that it was shot in the gritty streets of Chicago, and has a midwest style all it's own. If I see another L.A. "Hey HOlmes!" film I'm going to scream. Also, Frausto is unfraid of the realities of life in the Hispanic barrio. He's unafraid to show you the truth unlike some elitist Latino circles in Los Angeles. Case in point, check out American Family on PBS. If you liked Mean Streets or Boys in the Hood, you'll enjoy this. And I look forward to the bright future of it's director, Juan J. Frausto, and some of the talented, still unkown actors.
Impressive Latino Film
locomind200319 May 2003
I don't normally write reviews for a movie but the rating for this movie is very unfair. I know from experience on how extremely hard it is to make a movie because I'm been trying to finish mines after 3 years in the making. For those people who gave this movie a bad review should go out and try to make a film on their own or maybe just jealous people who can't stand a Latino filmmaker who did it, had his film picked up by Artisan and to be distributed to all the video and retail stores across the country.
I can see the mistakes and some not so good acting on this film but overall the movie is extremely well done considering it was done on a shoestring budget. The look of the film matches the marginal lives of the characters and the realism is very strong as it captures the violence in a very unglamorized way. There are some strong performance in the movie that we should take notice that carried my interest through out the entire movie. The story is very typical and cliche but it's done in a fresh way that makes it sound new to our eyes and ears.
I was really captivated by the whole production and I was taken away at how this movie looks really, really good which is really hard for a first time director to achieve. The person who shot this film should be commended for his awesome cinematography. This is really good work. I hope one day I can achieve what this director has achieved in his career because it's really hard to make a movie with the right ingredients that can produce success for the first time filmmaker regardless of race and color.
To be honest I was a bit jealous when I saw "Drive By" and to have myself write a negative review because the way I felt wouldn't be fair to the filmmaker. After I listened to his commentary on DVD that I purchased I knew exactly what he felt and went through on making his film. Let's be fair and give the filmmakers credit where credit is due.
Great job!
I can see the mistakes and some not so good acting on this film but overall the movie is extremely well done considering it was done on a shoestring budget. The look of the film matches the marginal lives of the characters and the realism is very strong as it captures the violence in a very unglamorized way. There are some strong performance in the movie that we should take notice that carried my interest through out the entire movie. The story is very typical and cliche but it's done in a fresh way that makes it sound new to our eyes and ears.
I was really captivated by the whole production and I was taken away at how this movie looks really, really good which is really hard for a first time director to achieve. The person who shot this film should be commended for his awesome cinematography. This is really good work. I hope one day I can achieve what this director has achieved in his career because it's really hard to make a movie with the right ingredients that can produce success for the first time filmmaker regardless of race and color.
To be honest I was a bit jealous when I saw "Drive By" and to have myself write a negative review because the way I felt wouldn't be fair to the filmmaker. After I listened to his commentary on DVD that I purchased I knew exactly what he felt and went through on making his film. Let's be fair and give the filmmakers credit where credit is due.
Great job!
brenda chicago's new rising star
decas879 March 2002
the film was very good in the sense that is showed the reality of the hood. Overall, you can see that a lot of heart was put in this film. I over all enjoyed the perfomance of young actress Brenda Castrejon who opened the door to new horizons although she could have more speaking parts.
This movie was so humble that I cried. The Story is so touching.
cutemamas21 December 2005
I rented "Drive By" at Blockbuster after watching "Once Upon A Time In the Hood" from the same director. I can't believe he lived in my hood on 26 street. Wow, that's awesome he's working in Hollywood. Anyways, I watched "Drive By" and I was enthralled by it from beginning to end. It has it weaknesses and strenghts but I was still captivated by the whole ordeal of Ceasar's dilemma. I felt bad and sad for him. I had tears by the end of the film. I was really touched by him. This film felt real and I was affected by the violence because folks that's what's going on in our streets. This violence has to stop! I think the film serves as a educational tool for those confused kids on the streets. They should see this film and learn from it because I did. I proud to say I'm Latina because the director is Mexican, from MY hood and he's showing us that everything is possible in life. We Latinos got to support our fellow Latino filmmakers. I can't wait to see "Murder on the Border". It sounds interesting. Thanks! :)
Another piece of crap by the director of "Once Upon a time in the Hood"
pedrito130620 December 2005
The theme here folks is LOW BUDGET. And it's obvious from beginning to end. For one, the title is so bland and lame ..."Drive by", sounds like the title of a movie made by high school students. What a piece of crap. Skip this movie, it's not worth your time. These people need to go back to school and re-think their career in film making. Everything seems so fake, the acting is horrible.....HORRIBLE!! This is not what Chicago street life is all about. This guy is pretending to convey his knowledge of Chicago gang life and he falls way short. I say skip this movie and go see the worst thing thats out in the silver screen which will STILL be 100 times better than this crap fest called "Drive By" how original...
NO GOOD!!!
phlewfy18 March 2002
This was the absolute worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life. I sent my dad to the video store to rent Joy Ride and he shows up with Drive By! I have never seen acting so bad. My dad tossed it in and everyone in the room (5 people) was asleep within ten minutes. My advice to you is DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE!!!
Garbage!
BudoSenpai29 November 2021
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