In his feature debut, filmmaker Eric Eason casts non-professional actors in a gritty, down-to-earth story of two Latino brothers. Junior (Frankie G.) and younger brother Manny (Leo Minaya) both grew up in Washington Heights (which, before Rudy Giuliani’s "clean up," was a haven for crack dealers). Womanizing, manipulating Junior did time for his dad after a drug bust; now he’s trying to make a living as a painting contractor. Manny, or "Manito," is about to graduate as salutatorian. A neighborhood party for Manny is the film’s centerpiece, around which converge the various tensions of family and friends; Manny’s chivalrous attempt to protect a new girlfriend (a charismatic Jessica Morales) ends in tragedy. Although the plot at times seems geared toward heavy-handed social commentary (nature versus nurture?), gradually the characters’ inner conflicts acquire some depth. The brothers’ friends are especially compelling; their improvisational dialogue rings with street-smart verve. Manito is a "day in the life" film that ably conveys the evolution of one of Manhattan’s more troublesome neighborhoods, and though its ethnicity is specific, its story transcends cultural stereotypes. (79 minutes)