Pariah

This new independent film, written and directed by Dee Rees, is about a black lesbian teen who struggles with her sexual identity and coming out to her parents, although both sense it while denying it in different ways. Alike, known as Le, has friendships with a lesbian dropout whom her mother doesn't like and a straight girl who kisses her. Le also has to deal with her mother who wants her to remain girly, and her father, a policeman, who wants to avoid the issue of his daughter's sexuality.

This was a pretty good film, the lead actress Adepero Oduye was very natural in her role and believable in her performance. Her character was complex yet we could see the many facets of her confusion caused by the social cues everyone gives her, which contributed to her anxiety and anger at not being able to express herself. Each of the supporting characters represented different views of Le's sexuality, both good and bad. The script was pretty tight and well written. It also looked pretty well put together for a small budget indie. Kim Wayans as the mom was the only actor I recognized, but otherwise it was an all black cast, and overall the acting was very good.