Pariah (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• William D

  
  "Pariah," from first-time writer/director Dee Rees, doesn't break much artistic ground. It tells the same gay/lesbian coming-out story that we've seen a million times. But it's told particularly well and from within a black urban context, which I don't… More
  "Pariah," from first-time writer/director Dee Rees, doesn't break much artistic ground. It tells the same gay/lesbian coming-out story that we've seen a million times. But it's told particularly well and from within a black urban context, which I don't believe has been done before. It also goes a bit deeper into the hearts and minds of the homophobic parents than typically is done, which was great. Unfortunately, it only scratches those surfaces. Kim Wayans, who of course has a long history in comedy, shows she has major dramatic talent, playing the homophobic mother of the main character. The cast is universally good, but Wayans is the stand-out. The main character is a black teenage girl in Brooklyn going through the coming-out process. She has fully come out to herself as a lesbian, and she has even found her way into a lesbian circle of friends. She even frequents a women's night club. But she hasn't told Mom or Dad about any of this, both of whom are homophobic. Mom is particularly venomous in her hatred of gays and lesbians. You can see that Dad, a detective in the NYPD, in his heart of hearts is not a bigot. Thrown into the mix to complicate things a little bit is a bisexual girl eager to have lesbian experiences to explore herself. But she tosses lesbians aside like useless candy wrappers after she's had her fun. If I were going to give Dee Rees advice, I would say this: Ms. Rees, in "Pariah" you started digging into the parent characters with some real psychological and artistic depth. I encourage you to go more deeply in that direction. I think your true gifts as an artist lie there. I would give anything to see a sequel where you explore what happened to that mother and what she's really fighting. You hint that her husband is beginning to stray, but I think there's more in there. Help us see it. Remember when that great schoolteacher tells Alike that she could "go deeper" with her poetry? You could go deeper with your films. I know you could.

• Greg S

  
  A lesbian teenager in Brooklyn leads an uncomfortable double life, trying to hide her lifestyle from her conservative parents while struggling to find a suitable partner for her first sexual relationship. Excellent acting salvages a well-intentioned but familiar script that… More
  A lesbian teenager in Brooklyn leads an uncomfortable double life, trying to hide her lifestyle from her conservative parents while struggling to find a suitable partner for her first sexual relationship. Excellent acting salvages a well-intentioned but familiar script that occasionally drags.

• Walter M

  
  "Pariah" opens with 17-year old Alike(Adepero Oduye) using a fake ID to get into a women's nightclub where she hangs out with her friend Laura(Pernell Walker). When Laura tries to hook her up with another woman, Alike drags her out of there. Alike's being out… More
  "Pariah" opens with 17-year old Alike(Adepero Oduye) using a fake ID to get into a women's nightclub where she hangs out with her friend Laura(Pernell Walker). When Laura tries to hook her up with another woman, Alike drags her out of there. Alike's being out past her curfew would not be a problem if her younger sister Sharonda(Sahra Mellesse) did not do her sisterly duty to rat her out to their mother(Kim Wayans). In fact, she blames her nocturnal activity entirely on Laura, who is working on her GED, and wants Alike to make more socially acceptable friends like Bina(Aasha Davis) who she introduces to her at church. Even though writer-director Dee Rees shows a lot of promise with her first feature "Pariah," it is also much too rough to fully pass muster with subplots going off in all directions and not enough experience to tie it all together. Alike is not only lesbian but also coming to terms with her gender identity, as she always appears to be changing clothes to and from home. That's not to mention the Misadventure of the Amazing Strap-On. Maybe in 1994, this all might have seemed fresh and enough to go on but not so much now. While many elements might ring true, others come off as cliche, such as Alike's poetry, and others just feel false. For example, no mother, much less a churchgoing one, would buy clothing for her teenage daughter that would 'accentuate her figure.' Feminine might be the word you are looking for.

• Glenn G

  
  There has been much reductive talk about how PARIAH is PRECIOUS 2011. While they both deal with a protagonist trying to break free of her stifling family situation, PARIAH is much more gentle in tone and tells the tale of a young, tomboy lesbian navigating her way through life.… More
  There has been much reductive talk about how PARIAH is PRECIOUS 2011. While they both deal with a protagonist trying to break free of her stifling family situation, PARIAH is much more gentle in tone and tells the tale of a young, tomboy lesbian navigating her way through life. Adepero Oduye has such charm as Alike, a smart high school student who doesn't quite know what to do with herself yet. Kim Wayans, who has excelled in comedy in the past, is striking and vivid as her less-than-supportive mother, while Charles Parnell is charming and wonderful as her father. Pernell Walker plays a character you don't get to see often in film, the butch lesbian friend, while Aasha Davis has the impossible role of a friend who turns into a love interest, and then has a strange, out-of-left-field turn. She charms despite the odd transition. I found myself caring very much for this cast of characters, mainly because of the refreshingly articulate way they expressed themselves. It's a breath of fresh air to see a so-called "urban" (hate that term) drama where the people in it seem to care about music, books, and each other. If I had a complaint, it would be about the cinematography. Although there are beautiful images to be had here, the hand-held work felt annoying at times. Sometimes stillness, especially with a main character who lives so well in it, is the right way to go. That aside, this could be the sleeper hit of 2011. A film with a beating heart and soul.

• Philip P

  
  With an almost poetic quality about it, Dee Rees' coming of age story "Pariah" is a brief and engaging short story. No matter the stance you take on the issue of homosexuality, while the film is obviously not against it, the movie is also smart to not just explain why… More
  With an almost poetic quality about it, Dee Rees' coming of age story "Pariah" is a brief and engaging short story. No matter the stance you take on the issue of homosexuality, while the film is obviously not against it, the movie is also smart to not just explain why someone might be gay, but instead simply gives a glimpse. A glimpse in terms of what it feels like to deal with the emotions of knowing you are not as everyone else is or how others expect you to be. It is a slightly vulgar film that does not shy away from the truths about gay relationships. It would still be awkward to watch if this were a man and woman relationship, the fact that its about a lesbian seems to make the movie feel like it actually has bigger balls (no joke intended). The story follows Alike, portrayed by a wonderful Adepero Oduye as she struggles to lead a double life. She wants to be like her friend Laura who is open about her homosexuality and free to live as she wishes (though there is certainly turmoil within her as well) but Alike is slow to embrace this truth about herself and finds it ever harder to tell her parents. There are issues within the household and there are different avenues explored by all parties cooperating in the film, but what it boils down to is a raw honest look at the journey one had to take to feel confident in herself. This is not a place for personal opinion, but despite feeling put off at times by the way in which the main character acted towards those who care about her I was also surprised that in the resolution how they reacted to her. Clearly this is a personal story for the writer/director, but it is only one side of a story and the film would have done well to be more fleshed out. But for a personal take, it accomplishes its goals and more importantly, gets its point across.