"Pariah" is a Gem

I watch a lot of foreign films, so believe me when I say that sometimes the most difficult films about other of cultures to penetrate can be the ones that are right next door. I found the first fifteen minutes of "Pariah" alienating and off-putting, as I watched 17-year-old African-American teenager Alike (Adepero Oduye), dressed like a boy and calling herself "Lee," visit a strip-club with her similarly outfitted friend Laura (Pernell Walker). Their rapid-fire slang was difficult to comprehend at first, and the raw sexuality on display was startling. And then Lee goes home, changing her clothes for more feminine items on the bus. Late for her curfew, she tries to sneak past a watchful mother, Audrey (Kim Wayans), and teasing younger sister, Sharonda (Sahra Mellesse), and suddenly Lee wasn't so unfamiliar after all.

"Pariah" is a coming-of-age story about a young black woman coming to grips with her identity and sexuality. It is tempting to compare Lee to the title character of "Precious," another young black woman in turmoil, but they are very different characters with very different stories. Lee is a good student who has a gift for writing poetry, and a good future in her sights. She also has a stable family with two parents who care very much about her. They care so much that Lee meets with constant opposition when she tries to assert herself. Her father Arthur (Charles Parnell), a policeman, insists on addressing her as Alike, and stubbornly ignores the signs that she is different. Audrey, more fearful and more determined to save her daughter from herself, is willing to take more drastic measures. She buys Lee more form-fitting clothing, tries to keep her away from Laura's perceived bad influence, and pushes her to become friends with Bina (Aasha Davis), the daughter of a friend from church. Neither are willing to voice their suspicions about Lee out loud, and Lee prefers to placate them and live a double-life rather than confront the truth.

First time director Dee Rees treads a lot of familiar ground here, and the movie hits a lot of the usual cliches - writing as an important outlet, the parents who fit certain broad types, and a good amount of emotional bombast and moody lyricism. However, she does a great job of filing out her characters, and quietly introducing the audience to various aspects of the black lesbian culture, and how it fits in the larger context of the black youth culture. That was one of the most fascinating things about the film, the way that these girls take familiar aspects of black male masculinity and repurpose them to define themselves, adopting some of the styles and clothes and mannerisms. The girls' sexual experiences are candidly explored as well - Lee is a restless virgin at the beginning of the film - but not to the extent that the opening scenes would suggest. Those early club scenes and some silliness with a sex toy aside, far more is suggested than we actually see.

Rather, the film keeps coming back to the tensions within Lee's family, slowly letting the situation build. It's so good to see Charles Parnell and Kim Wayans, who have done mostly television work, get to sink their teeth into solid parts like this. Wayans especially is terrific as Audrey, the mother who is trying so hard to fix a problem she doesn't understand. I also liked Aasha Davis and Pernell Walker, and look forward to spotting them in future films. There's no question, though, that "Pariah" belongs to Adepero Oduye. She's wonderfully bright and sympathetic, bringing a cohesion to all of these different aspects of Lee, all her various relationships and struggles. When she falls in love, she lights up the screen. When her father tentatively tries to ask the right questions, you hold your breath as she struggles to speak her mind at last.

I'm afraid I don't have the background to talk about how "Pariah" works as gay narrative or an African-American narrative. GLBT cinema is still one of my blind spots. However, I found the central conflicts to be universal, and I think it will transcend whatever box people might try to place it in. It should work with any audience, anywhere. I really had no idea what to expect coming into this movie, no experience with the subject matter whatsoever. Maybe that's why I found "Pariah" to be such a great surprise. I hope more people find this film. We could use more like it.
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