The thrill of discovery is all over "Pariah", the feature film debut by writer/director Dee Rees. A success at Sundance, where it won the Excellence in Cinematography award, "Pariah" is also notable as the film debut of its star, Adepero Oduye, an Independent Spirit nominee.
"Pariah" began life as a short of the same name, which was later fleshed out into the current release, which has the good fortune of being executive produced by Spike Lee. It also sports the pedigree of a Focus Features release, one of the most dependable indie branches. The vibrant, tough-but-tender tale of an inner city teen coming of age and coming out, the film is thrilling and thoroughly deserving of a wide audience.
Somewhat reminiscent of the more downbeat "Precious", this film is more centered on Alike, Oduye's character. While she does live at home, she has a stable, middle class family home, sporting a married couple as parents and a cute younger sister. Alike is struggling privately with her identity as a young woman who is attracted to other women and also eager to shed the more traditionally feminine dress encouraged by her mother for the baseball hats and sweats more to her liking.
Her Mom, effectively played by Kim Wayans, is astute enough to take a disliking to Alike's overtly butch friend Laura, the effortless Pernell Walker. It is to the filmmaker's credit that the relationship between the two girls is important and sufficiently developed yet is not the centerpiece of the film; instead, it is Alike's journey that sustains our interest, a journey that finds most everyone in her life disappointing her at some point in the story.
The film not only looks like a million bucks, but the writing and acting are refreshingly seamless. A particular standout is Charles Parnell, a television actor who also breaks out as Alike's law enforcement Dad. He is both in denial, and trusting of his daughter, and his astute underplaying is pivotal in preventing the film from being overwhelmed with emotional characters. The two scenes between these two are the most memorable in the film. Wayans is also good in the more tumultuous role of the disapproving Mom.
The one performance that proved only slightly distracting is Aasha Davis as Bina, the friend Alike's Mom decides her daughter should hang out with, instead of the androgynous Laura. Davis has a natural warmth onscreen, yet her role requires a swift, nuanced turn that seems a stretch; she seems more comfortable being alluring than dismissive. But then, all the major roles in "Pariah" require some form of transformation, the clear sign of a well-written script.
"Pariah" is currently playing in a handful of major cities, including the usual suspects New York, DC, LA, San Francisco, and Chicago. Like last year's compelling urban drama "Gun Hill Road", I will be watching to see the trajectory of the latest little film that could . . . turn into something big.
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