American Me

It's hard to take a pot shot at Edward James Olmos directorial film debut especially when it deals with a cause so close to his heart. He spends weeks and weeks lecturing about the dangers of gangs to kids all over the States and of course AMERICAN ME deals with just that. It is an uneven piece of work, Olmos miscast himself in the lead and the voice-over seems contrived still it is an honest piece of work and hence worth viewing. It was of interest to me to see it open with the Zoot Suit riots as this is how THE BLACK DAHLIA, which I just watched recently, starts off. The tags of "Mexican Godfather" are well deserved but when you get right down to it crime life is universal and there are many Asian films of which the same can be said. The biggest problem I had with AMERICAN ME was the use of the same phrases over and over and this may well be my ignorance as Olmos' character makes a big deal of being able to read and write so perhaps in real life things are in fact this way. Despite it's faults AMERICAN ME carries a powerful message and should be seen at least once.