Boundaries are being broken once again in another indie film called "Echo Park." With her first film, director, Amanda Marsalis, succeeds at showing a story about love, intimacy and color border. The characters in this film are transparent as you go further along in the film. Sophie, (Mammie Gummer) a young woman who seems to be discovering her true identity after leaving a relationship, decides to move and makes an attempt at a new life. Leaving her rich home for a more middle-class neighborhood, Sophie gets acquainted with Alex, (Tony Okungbowa) while buying a sofa from him. From acquaintances to intimate lovers, they both take a risk on love, knowing it will not last. The two main characters tie in well together; Okungbowa and Gummer have great chemistry.
Marsalis, a fashion photographer, seizes a small area in LA that seems to be a different world. Being a resident herself, she captures elements of this town that make it unique. It looks more like a hippy town with cool, laid back, and friendly people. The setting in the film gives away the economic status of the characters, letting the audience know that these are regular, middle-class folk. The soft focus of the film makes it easy for the characters to be likable. The soft, smooth music in the background helps as well.
There are a few things that make this film relatable to so many people. The difficulty of moving on when one still feels tied to an ex-lover, Sophie thought she wanted the life she always dreamed of. Marriage, job promotion and children were on her life’s to do list. All of that changes when she finally realizes she doesn’t want it anymore. There is an ease of meeting and knowing someone who shares a similar component of a larger desire. Sophie leaves her opulent surroundings for a more calm and subtle life. Not having to stress over getting married and having children when all her friends seem to be accomplishing those goals, Sophie decides she wants to walk her own path at her own pace. Many people have the same desire and succeed.
In the past, there has been a rulebook for romance stories, but this one breaks the rules of a typical romance film. It leaves you with a bittersweet feeling at the end, but it does not disappoint. Even though there is a racial barrier, it is easily neglected by an intimate meeting of two people who take a risk on temporary love.
