Mosquita & Mari

A rule-abiding high school student forms a friendship with a troubled classmate in this touching drama. Yolanda (Fenessa Pineda) quickly notices Mari (Venecia Troncoso) when the latter moves to Huntington Park, a suburban-industrial neighborhood in East L.A. If Yolanda's Mexican immigrant parents want her to make something of herself, Mari's undocumented mother is just trying to make money enough to provide for her two children. Yolanda spends her free time hanging out with friends, while Mari smokes pot, rides her bike around town, and keeps her ear-buds in at all times. Yolanda is not only friendly with her new neighbor but also appears to have some kind of crush, although Mari doesn't return the attention initially. Eventually, Yolanda (whom Mari nicknames "Mosquita") and Mari start spending time together, mostly at an abandoned auto-body shop, but as Mari's grades improve, Yolanda's decline enough to cause her parents concern (they are convinced that she's seeing a boy). When Mari tells Mosquita, "It's me and you for life," further complications seem inevitable. Writer-director Aurora Guerrero's Mosquita & Mari—a Sundance entry—is an engaging coming-of-age film that benefits from believable chemistry, sensitive direction, and warm cinematography. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)