It is not often that one thinks of Ecuador to be a hotbed of LGBT Cinema, but with a couple of recent releases along with Micaela Rueda’s recent offering Take Me for a Ride, here we are.

The surprising aspect of this film is that the Spanish language plays very little of a role in the story of Sara, an outsider, who becomes smitten with the new girl, Andrea, to the dismay of her parents, a familiar trope. In fact, much of the film feels rote and familiar and an ambiguous half-ending does little to advance the genre.

So why go for this ride? Well, the performances of the two leads are bold, especially tthat of Samanta Cacaido. The film is well-made, looks and sounds fine, and presents a positive message of young love. Most of all, though, if this kind of story feels well-worn, international gay and lesbian cinema is advancing to the point that a film like this is commonplace mearns progress. This is a very big deal.

[star v=3]