From Prada To Nada

Loosely based on Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility, From Prada to Nada tells the story of two sisters who lose all their wealth and privilege the day their father dies of a heart attack. When an unknown half-brother emerges to share the estate they learn that their father was actually bankrupt. Nora and Mary must leave their Beverly Hills lifestyle behind and move in with their aunt in East LA.
 
Nora (Camilla Belle) the sensible one takes the transition in stride. She is all about education and earning her law degree so she can study anywhere. But Mary (Alexa Vega) is taking things hard. She lives to shop and her aunt has just sold her luxury car to pay for her tuition. She has also been reduced to driving a beat up economy car and canceling all her credit cards.
 
Raised in Beverly Hills with servants and speaking no Spanish, Nora and Mary do not fit well in East LA. Their skin color does not fool the local residents and they love to intimidate the girls and watch them squirm. But soon Nora embraces the neighborhood culture and dreams of opening a law clinic there, whereas Mary only embraces Hispanic culture when she falls in love with a visiting Mexican professor.
 
Like Sense and Sensibility, Nora is tormented by falling in love with Edward Ferris, the genial brother of her evil sister-in-law. Edward (Nicholas D’Agosto) is a lawyer and he gives Nora a job in his law firm. Following the Jane Austin story further, Mary has a long-suffering admirer in Bruno (Wilmer Valderama). Like Col. Brandon in the novel he is selfless man with a good heart. It takes awhile for Mary to see through her deceiving lover and appreciate the noble man across the street. There is a lot more to this Bruno than Mary realizes. He is really the heart and soul of the neighborhood.
 
What I liked the most about this movie was that even though it showed the Hispanic people as stereotypes it still respected and honored the culture. All the clichés are there like Cholas, gang-bangers, low-rider’s and running from the I.N.S. But this film is more like a love letter; it actually makes East LA look like a cool place to live. The supporting characters can be broad and two-dimensional, but they are fun. The film does not take itself too seriously.
 
Even though I enjoyed this movie and found it sweet, I was distracted by the Jane Austin comparisons. This film is “loosely” based on Sense and Sensibility. And where the novel is beautifully constructed and all the story threads come to a satisfying conclusion, From Prada to Nada skipped some of the richest details and presented a more streamlined version. This was disappointing in a way. I would have almost preferred that they skipped the comparisons altogether and developed a more original story.
 
I liked this film but because it lacked depth I am going to recommend it as a rental or a bargain matinee. But I do encourage you to see it. I completely support smaller independent films especially when they feature cultures that are often overlooked in main stream cinema. From Prada to Nada will appeal to anyone. Get out of your comfort zone and see it.

Rating: Bargain Matinee Jane Austin goes to the hood