Raj Doctor It was made in 2011 by Director Dee Rees. She had made a short movie on the same character and subject in 2007. Because that short film of 28 minutes won 8 international awards Dee Rees got inspired to make it a full length feature film. It took 4 years to get to the finish line to release the movie - the finances, the actors, the longer scripts and the rehearsals under tight budgetary constraints.But in the end, what we see is a beautiful coming to age film of a young teenage girl Alike (played fabulously by stunning beautiful Adepero Oduye - her first break) who evolves to find her sexuality and heart break within a dis-functional family (any surprises there?) with a religious strict Catholic mother Audrey (played to perfection by Kim Wayans) Audrey is a regular caring mother who is unhappy and scared about her daughter Alike's behavior as a tom-boy and about Alike's friend, thus she introduces Alike to one of her colleagues daughter - who invariably initiates Alike into a same-sex love and turns her down breaking Alike's heart into pieces. But with this experience Alike realizes her sexuality and during a confrontation with her parents - she declares "I am a lesbian" to the utter dis-belief of Audrey who beats her up.Alike leaves the house forever and joins a English literature program - breaking free and finding LOVE.*******Director Dee Rees who has written and directed this movie has worked very hard and it shows in every frame on the screen.The scenes are so well written that start at a point and lead to a final conclusion that takes the movie forward while introducing each character traits to fill in the gaps of the journey of Alike.No wonder the film bagged 15 international awards and 28 nominations in various categories - mainly director, actress (in main lead) and actress in supporting role and best movie.I do not like the movies with hand-held camera - but Dee Ree and her editor has done a brilliant job in cutting and editing the pieces with smoothness.The atmosphere of New York's black downtown area is taken superbly with the spaces in school and evening hang outs in clubs reflecting the real culture of new millennium teenagers.The cinematography and music are excellent. Watching Pariah today gives us the glimpse of coming to age of Hollywood cinema - which I am sure laid path to another gem of a movie Moonlight (coming to age boy's movie on gay subject) to win best movie Oscar at 2017 Academy Awards.I would highly recommend this movie for everyone who is sensitive to the LGBTQREI group. Take a few tissues - it is a emotionally powerful tear-jerker.We can't resist to be part of the journey of each characters and their flaws and still LOVE them... SUPERB.My rating for the movie is 7.25 out of 10

Steve Pulaski Perhaps Pariah occupies a title that is a bit too heavy for its subject matter. The film around a seventeen year old girl, black and lesbian in an urban neighborhood, that is trying to come of age in a time where she is placed into the rare category of being "a minority within a minority." She has some friends, a distant relationship with her parents (not uncommon in teens), and, at the end, her future still has rays of light peaking through the gloom. I have hope for her, and believe that labeling her as a "pariah" is a bit too harsh.The seventeen year old is named Alike (A-lie-kah, played by Adepero Oduye). Her parents are the heavily-Christian Audrey (Wayans) and the workaholic Arthur (Parnell). Alike usually spends her nights at seamy nightclubs, with her friends and a trusty fake ID. She finds it harder and harder to keep her desires and orientation concealed from her family, and, like most girls around that age, resorts to peer discussions which serve as her motivation.Let's stop right there; it takes no expert to realize that this is a cliché premise. I understand that. What do I say about cliché premises? When taken with enough heart, seriousness, and personality, they can be involving pictures all the same. Pariah gets involved with a number of different areas in film, that usually go untouched in a coming of age picture.For one, atmosphere is put to great use here. This is a story of urban alienation, depicting homosexuality in areas where we don't often see it. I was reminded of Scorsese's Taxi Driver while watching a lot of Pariah. Atmospheres are brightly colored and vividly shot. Lots of shots bleed with color, and a lot of silence is punctuated by inviting background music, sometimes cut with boombox hip-hop. Both stories depict lonely protagonists, hungering for acceptance in society, but are continuously left lost, wandering in the sea of despair.Movies like Pariah are wonderful because they showcase new talents in a familiar world. Another fantastic debut this year was Josh Trank's Chronicle, which had a creative premise, determined actors, and a slick script that lacked in cheap exploitation and gimmicks. Pariah was originally a twenty-eight minute short film, created by director Dee Rees, and in just a few years, has expanded the idea into a fantastic film. Spike Lee serves as one of the executive producers, and in many ways, from the gritty writing to the unsettling atmosphere (just like in Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X) it mirrors a film he could've made.Not to mention, aside from the film's behind the scenes work, it is also a beauty performance-wise. Adepero Oduye is forced to carry a grand weight of the film on her back, and accepts the challenge almost effortlessly, and Kim Wayans as the blatantly harsh mother, holding back fits of rage and attitude is also a well unsung role. Pariah's story is a great one, depicting homosexuality in places we don't think about, another fascinating story of urban alienation, and showcasing extremely well-cast actors performing beautifully written material. If it keeps up, Dee Rees could become the female Spike Lee.Starring: Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans, and Aasha Davis. Directed by: Dee Rees.

Tony Heck "It's not a phase, there's nothing wrong with me." Teenager Alike (Oduye) is struggling with who she is. At home she tries to be the woman her mother and father want her to be. Away from home she tries to be herself. Leading the double life is starting to wear "Li" down and she uses her writing to help release the emotions out that she holds. To be honest I wasn't really looking forward to this one. The preview made the movie look OK but I was still expecting it to be a little boring. I was dead wrong. Almost from the beginning you feel a connection with "Li" and throughout the movie that only grows. The acting is excellent in this and Kim Wayans (yes, that Kim Wayans) give a performance that is almost better the Mo'Nique's in "Precious". This movie is comparable to that one in a lot of ways. I will say that this movie is easier to watch and in my opinion better the "Precious". Very moving and real. One of the bigger surprises I have had watching a movie lately. Overall, if you liked "Precious" you will love this movie. I give it an A.

Chris_Pandolfi In public, seventeen-year-old Alike, or Lee (Adepero Oduye), dresses in boys' jackets, baggy pants, and sports shoes. Her hair is short on its own, but she makes it even shorter by tying it back into a bun, and she hides it all under a baseball cap. She's not trying to pass herself off as a boy – she's just trying to wear what makes her most comfortable. But during bus rides home, she will take off the cap, let down her hair, remove the jacket, and reveal a form-fitting white shirt with a jeweled butterfly printed on it. She will even put earrings on. She will stop short, however, of putting on makeup. She makes herself look just feminine enough without becoming too girly. This is to sate her mother, Audrey (Kim Wayans), who doesn't approve of her tomboy looks and always tries to buy her more overtly female clothing.Lee is, of course, going through the process of accepting herself as a lesbian. She has yet to come out to her family. She has every reason to be hesitant, especially when it comes to her mother, who's so determined to keep up appearances that she will try to make her daughter into something she's not. She gets along better with her father, a cop named Arthur (Charles Parnell); at least they can play basketball together. But there's still a great deal of tension between them. He wants a daddy's girl, and he refuses to see his daughter's tomboy lifestyle as anything other than a phase. It doesn't help that he's quietly menacing, emotionally walled off, and apparently not in love with his wife. How he got this chip on his shoulder, no one really knows. It's strongly suggested, though, that he doesn't appreciate having to work extra to accommodate Audrey's excessive spending.One of the greatest strengths of "Pariah," director Dee Rees' feature-length expansion of her own 2007 short film, is that its themes are universal. Despite what appearances suggest, it's not about homosexuality; it's about identity and the dangers of forbidden love. This can take on so many forms – cultural taboos, generation gaps, religious intolerance, personality quirks, physical deformity – and still amount to the same thing. Appreciating this movie does not require that you be gay or even tolerant of gay people. All that's required of you is an understanding of how it feels to be different in some way. Have you ever been made fun of for a funny name, or an unusual hairstyle, or a unique style of dress? Has your family ever disapproved of your life decisions, like becoming an actor when they wanted you to become a doctor? Have you ever formed a friendship with someone disapproved of by others? If you can relate to any of this, or to any other circumstances I didn't mention, this movie will speak to you.Lee's best friend is an open lesbian named Laura (Pernell Walker), who lives with her sister and is trying to earn her GED. She often brings Lee to an all-female strip club and actively tries to hook her up with a girlfriend. Lee's mother doesn't approve of Laura. She would much rather see her be friends with a girl named Bina (Aasha Davis), the daughter of one of her work colleagues. Lee and Bina initially don't hit it off; Lee knows it's only to make each of their mothers happy. But as they spend more time together, it becomes apparent that Bina is hiding forbidden feelings of her own. But is she as willing to embrace her lesbianism? Is she even a lesbian? Sexuality is almost never set in stone, especially when you're still a teenager. Hormones sure do cause a lot of problems.The film features some of the year's best performances. Of particular note is Oduye, who wisely restrains herself from being too precocious. In just about every scene, she makes Lee seem like a natural teenager – confused about herself, at odds with her family, and desperate to make a connection with someone who understands her. She expresses herself through poetry, which has become her passion. This isn't to say she's an expert. One of my favorite scenes is early on, when she shows her latest work to her writing teacher. The consensus: Lee's writing is competent, but it could be much deeper. I majored in Creative Writing in college, so let me assure you, I've know what Lee felt at that very moment. There's nothing quite like submitting what you believe to be your best work, only for it to be mercilessly criticized by your professors.I was also impressed by Kim Wayans, whose take on Audrey is convincingly desperate. There's an interesting moment early in the film when, at work, she walks into the lounge area for lunch. Two other women are already in the room. They say nothing, but they take a disapproving look at her before getting up and leaving the room. Why do they dislike her? It's never directly stated, but her actions throughout the film suggest a woman who has alienated herself by being so judgmental. Her head is full of ideals, many of them impossible. It seems her daughter is not the film's only pariah. I always appreciate it when a movie's title applies to more than one character, as it adds depth and complexity. If you can see your way past the superficial aspects, and I sincerely hope that you can, you will find that "Pariah" is a powerful, compelling film.-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)