Gritty, sympathetic 'Pariah' is true to teen's life

The teenage years can be tough for anyone, but they are especially so for Alike (Ah-lee-kah), a confused Brooklyn high-school student being pulled in opposite directions by her feuding parents and friends, and mostly by her dawning sexuality. Her story makes for a gripping feature directorial debut in Dee Rees' Pariah.

Alike (Adepero Oduye) may not live in a luxurious world but, unlike some of her peers, she would seem to reside in a stable one. She has a doting detective dad (constant TV character actor Charles Parnell) and a churchgoing mom (comedian Kim Wayans making a striking dramatic turn), and she is a good student with a gift for writing poetry.

Yet there are secrets beneath the placid surface. Her parents' marriage is in the middle of a slow-motion collapse, and Alike leads a double life. Once outside the house, Alike changes her clothes from girlie to tomboy and hangs out with Laura (Pernell Walker), who is an "out" lesbian and good best friend.

Of course, Alike stumbles in her tightrope walk between the two worlds -- especially in her exploration of first love with Bina (Aasha Davis) -- and all of that only adds to the conflict between her parents.

Rees, who also wrote the script, keeps the characters grounded in an emotional reality, and that feeling is underscored by the gritty cinematography by Bradford Young. All the performances resonate with a simmering intensity, especially those of Oduye and Wayans, who proves it is not just comedy that runs through her family's veins.

If nothing else, Pariah should be a launching pad for at least two careers. Rees, who had only made shorts and a documentary previously, shows she has what it takes to tell an involving story. But Oduye , who has appeared in small TV parts, is the one you really remember for her sympathetic portrayal of a complex, conflicted character.

Exclusive: Landmark Magnolia, Dallas

Cary Darling, 817-390-7571

Twitter: carydar