While watching 'Pariah' I couldn't help but wonder why Oprah and Tyler Perry didn't throw their support behind a film like this rather than the laughably manipulative piece of shit 'Precious'. Pariah is the story of Alike, a 17-year-old African-American woman whose quietly embracing the fact that she is a lesbian. She lives with her good-natured, but extremely religious mother, her hard-working father, and younger sister. Pariah is a raw and honest coming-of-age story that adds some new wrinkles to a somewhat tired story, creating a fresh, touching film that is both funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting. The most impressive thing about Dee Ree's feature debut is just how well balanced the story is. While this is very much a portrait of a young woman's struggles, every character in this film is very well fleshed out, with lots of dimension. This is impressive because the film never wavers, never forgetting it's primary focus in Alike. All of these characters feel very real. Adepero Oduye, who plays Alike, gives a really strong performance, balancing both the highs and lows of her character to great effect. It's not surprising at all to learn that Dee Rees based some of this story on her own life, as everything about it feels genuine and real. 8.25/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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