Title: Pariah
Release Date: December 28, 201
Director: Dee Rees
Production Company: Focus Features
Summary/Review:
“I’m not running; I’m choosing.”
Alike (Adepero Oduye), a 17-year-old from Brooklyn, leaves her home wearing the feminine clothing selected by her mother, but whether she’s going to school or sneaking out to a lesbian nightclub, Alike changes into the butch clothing she finds more comfortable. Nevertheless, her stern mother Audrey (Kim Wayans) is suspicious of Alike’s sexual identity and tries to get her to stop spending time with her best friend Laura (Pernell Walker) who is outwardly butch lesbian. Instead, Audrey introduces Alike to Bina (Aasha Davis), the daughter of a friend from church. But it turns out that Bina may be a romantic interest for Alike.
Pariah is a coming out story that falls upon some of the cliches of that genre, and Alike’s parents in particular feel one dimensional. But it does feel unique in showing an African American perspective on LGBTQ identity. Furthermore, the natural, neorealist style of the film captures the everyday life of Alike as she struggles with finding her identity. Oduye’s captivating performance elevates the film as a depiction of human experience, one that features a lot of pain, but also hope.
Rating: ****
Panorama of the Mountains 