‘Pariah’ is a brilliant film with intention

Writer/director Dee Rees’ film about a black lesbian teen coming to terms with her sexuality is subtle and real. It is emotionally genuine, populated by believable characters, and driven by dialogue and music that is honest to its characters and their issues.

In the realm of gay and lesbian-themed film, there is plenty of artifice, wooden acting, improbable dialogue and flawed settings.

Sometimes it is outright insulting to watch the stuff, and disheartening when sequels arrive and gain popularity. But in this case, it would be wonderful if Rees continued the journey of her protagonist Alike (pronounced uh-lee-kay), played convincingly by Adpero Oduye.
This high school senior is discovering her comfort zone, dressing butch and navigating the lesbian subculture. Its signals, dress code and behaviors will probably be familiar to urban audiences, but the insight offered in this film is enlightening. Through it all, Alike remains alert, perceptive, fearful of her parents’ reaction and determined to be her own woman: black, gay and intentional.

The urban lesbian scene Alike is trying to fit into, is noisy and rowdy. It’s titillating and frightening, and Alike’s petty spats with friends ring true. The club scenes are beautifully filmed, offering just the right amounts of intrigue and grime.

Alike’s mother, Audrey (Kim Wayans), attempts social engineering and arranges for Alike to spend time with Bina (Aasha Davis), a girl who is much more than she first appears to be. In this role, Davis turns in an astounding performance that is subtle and lively. I really like this character, she seems to represent all the influences Audrey wants for her daughter, yet Bina just isn’t that simple.

At home, Alike has a bratty younger sister (Sahra Mallesse), but she isn’t bratty in the Disney sense – she’s just irritating to a teen who wants her privacy. Alike’s parents are involved in a cold war of nagging and infidelity. Her mother envisions a perfect family, and is willing to deny reality in the process. She purchases feminine clothes for her daughter, who doesn’t dress the way mom would like. Audrey hears the neighborhood gossip and thinks she can change the truth through wardrobe. Meanwhile she fails to notice that her daughter is a bright and successful student.

Audrey wraps a dinner plate for her “working late” husband Arthur (Charles Parnell), who is clearly sneaking around and who rebuffs his wife’s inquiries with loud, temperamental impatience. They both know Audrey doesn’t really want to know the truth.

The steely resolve of a mother rejecting her lesbian daughter is heartbreaking, but not unexpected and not overdramatized. And it plays out twice in this film, in the stories of two characters. Alike’s heartfelt attempt to reach out to her mother is overshadowed by her mom’s own struggle with unrealistic expectation and crushing disappointment.

Pariah is an expansion of a 2007 short film by Rees, which also starred Oduye. Rees said the film is partially autobiographical, accounting for the film’s rich authenticity. Lesbian coming-of-age dramas are rare, and films about budding black lesbians are downright scarce. Pariah is a gem with texture and truth for all audiences.

‘Pariah’ opens exclusively at Landmark’s Mayan on January 13, 2012. On the Web at http://LandmarkTheaters.com or call 303-352-1992 for showtimes.