I have been waiting a long time to see this movie. I even was a little afraid to see it, what after hearing what it contained and reading the reviews. But i just finished watching it a 1/2 hour ago and i must say i was very pleasantly surprised by how much i liked it. No, not liked-LOVED it.
First off, i would like to say that i applaud Mr. Alan Ball for standing up to the controversy and making such a great film. Now i know why he fought so hard for this movie. This film depicts the brutal lessons of adolescence and the awkwardness of growing up-and developing at an early age and having to endure unwanted attention from those u trust. I will say that this film did hit home for me in some ways. I, too, went through the early development stages and had to deal with a lot of the awkwardness from that. I understood Jasira's confusion and discomfort and i'm sure many other women and girls do, too.
This film not only deals with uncomfortable adolescence, but also deals with a racism, strict and selfish parenting, and underage sex, among other things. In a nutshell, Jasira is a 13 year old half-Lebanese, half-American girl who's been sent to live with her strict Lebanese father by her mother because she was jealous of her sleazy boyfriend's attraction to Jasira. Jasira then must learn to live by her father's strict ways and during all this has her first period. Her parents are no help, so she must learn from others what is happening to her body. In the meantime, Jasira has taken a job babysitting for her neighbors, the Vuosos, and endures the young son's racist verbal attacks, all the while dealing with being the object of affection for his father. Mistaking the attention for affection, Jasira soon learns his true intentions after he sexually assaults her on two occasions. Her confusions only worsen as she begins seeing a classmate, who is black, much to her parents dismay. In the end, Jasira's only turn for help is her pregnant neighbor who immediately picks up on the situation and takes action.
Alan Ball has really outdone himself with this film. His excellent writing and directing as well as the brilliant performances from the cast made this film a winner. I must also say that Aaron Eckhart (Mr. Vuoso) has given one hell of a performance in what must've been one of the most difficult roles he's ever played. But the one who grabbed me the most was the performance of Summer Bishil as Jasira. I was very impressed with her and look forward to seeing her work in the future.
Bravo, Mr. Ball!
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