Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Pariah ~ Cinesnatch

The opening scene to Pariah has some real bite: raw, sensual, in-your-face. If you're faint of heart, you will probably have severe difficulty at the start when the soundtrack throws down the lyrics, "All you ladies pop your pussy like this / Shake your body, don’t stop, don’t miss / Just do it, do it, do it, do it, do it now / Right Now, Lick it good / Suck this pussy just like you should / My neck, my back, lick my pussy and my crack." If you can make it through those ten or so seconds, which complement some serious pole work, you should have no trouble with the rest of the film. The no-holds-barred tone set so high tapers down to the wholesomeness of its central characters, much more innocent than the club they cavort in. But, it keeps making me wish the film didn't wear such kid gloves and fear alienating its audience for most of the rest of the movie. Perhaps director Dee Rees' followup will pick up where this Go-Go dancer (Maine Anders) left off. Please.

Pariah’s strength is still its story, though, which, sadly, is one that hasn't been told until now ... already in the second decade of the 21st century. It deals with characters who are marginalized threefold on the big screen: 1) black 2) female, and 3) gay. The coming-of-age story examines a young woman realizing her own identity in conflict with her family and social environment where views of gender and sexuality are insanely constricting and oppressive. Set against a killer soundtrack, we watch Alike (Adepero Oduye) as she switches back and fourth between personas, hiding from her family the masculine style she feels comfortable in, while negotiating through a world that judges her almost as severely.

"You need to watch your tone."

The lesson mother would teach daughter would come back to bite her:
"It's your skin."

Being loved and accepted by one’s parents, if they’re fortunate to have them, sadly, isn’t a right. Those robbed of that privilege, must essentially raise themselves. Alike writes, “I am not broken, I am free,” when in order to be true to herself, she accepts that she must take what she has been given and continue her growth on her own. She must develop her own tools and love herself in order to stand independently and thrive in a society all too willing to cut her down for not fitting into a box.

"But, she's a junior. She's not going to have any MEM-O-RIES.
What about the MEM-O-RIES?"

"No, I don't think so. We leave the door open.
Let a little fresh air circulate in here."

The performances are strong, particularly Kim Wayans as the Christian mother in a dissatisfying marriage who struggles to communicate with her daughters. She contends with threads she has leftover from the life she envisioned for herself once upon a time, without the tools to reinvent an enriching future for herself and her family. The movie doesn't judge her for her religious beliefs, but it honestly depicts her situation as a woman trapped by them. Up until this point, Wayans has been known for her ensemble comedy work as the sister on early 90s variety show In Living Color. While Jim Carrey was my favorite, she always came in second for me. Her Della Reese’s Pieces (“Honey, you don’t have to feel guilty about having whole portions anymore, because I’ve already taken bites out of everything for you.”) was some funny-ass shit. Wayans’ commits to her character full-on without turning her into a one-dimensional villain and her voice is just ridiculously authentic. Additionally, she's able to add her naturally humorous personality in smaller moments without compromising the integrity of the film.

Also good in the cast is Purnell Walker as Alike's best friend Laura, tossed out on the street by her unforgiving mother. But, unlike Alike, she doesn't have the book smarts or poetic talent. She's lost and struggling with her sister while she had to take on day-to-day responsibilities she just wasn't ready for. But she has something Alike hasn't yet developed in herself: confidence to be who she is without compromise. "I get more pussy than your daddy ... you need to pop that damn cherry of yours." Laura's a bird who was kicked out of the nest before she was ready to spread her wings and fly. But, she's a good person at heart and offers what she can: loyalty and a shoulder to cry on for Alike. Walker's performance is touching, as is the depiction of her friendship with Alike.

"Yeah, I know ... if she was a little bit harder."

There is a rawness to the film during the opening shots and some sexier moments. In a hallway scene, some girls talk smack about Alike, who is within earshot. In their eyes, there is nothing wrong with girls experimenting with their own, just as long as it's only temporary and they retain their femininity. One chick Mika (the obscenely gorgeous Afton Williamson) simultaneously flirts and judges Alike, bringing back a little flavor we first tasted in the club. She tells her girls that she wouldn't mind going a round with Alike "if she was a little bit harder." But, for the most part, there is something ABC Afterschool Special about the movie. I can’t really place my finger on it and I wish I could, because I really like Pariah, but I wanted to love Pariah.