For my money, the British flick Fish Tank was easily the best movie released
in the first month of 2010. And if I were handing out another accolade for
February, that would have to go to this compelling, super-realistic indie, a
character-driven affair written and directed by Emily Abt. Ms. Abt, an
award-winning filmmaker previously known for such documentaries as Take It
from Me and All of Us, makes her first foray into dramatic fare here.
This film made a big splash at Sundance a year ago, when it was nominated
for the Grand Jury Prize. Set in the Washington, DC area, it revolves around
an unlikely love triangle which comes to test the already tenuous bond of
friendship forged between a couple of high school classmates, one black, one
white, who play on the lacrosse team.
African-American Tosha (Sonequa Martin), who hails from Anacostia, can only
afford to attend the exclusive prep school because she's on a full
scholarship. She's and her two siblings are being raised in the ‘hood by
their doting grandmother (Leslie Uggams) while their overworked single-mom
(Dionne Audain) works double shifts to keep a roof over their heads on her
security guard salary.
Tosha is the hope of the family because her younger brother, Miles (Thulis
Dingwall) is weak and sickly, and her older brother, Kevin (Gaius Charles)
is unemployed and lazy. Despite already being a father, the latter lays
around the crib getting so high he lets his baby daughter (Jonnie Marie
Home) crawl out onto the street unattended.
Somehow, Tosha keeps her nose to the grindstone, ignoring the dysfunction at
home and the daily taunts coming from jealous girls on the block. They love
teasing her mercilessly as she walks down the street to catch the bus for
everything from acting white to having once allowed the boys to see her
panties for a couple of bucks.
Tosha doesn't find much relief at school either, where she finds it hard to
fit in with the spoiled-rich kids. Because of all of the above, she focuses
intently on her goal of being admitted to Princeton, which she sees as her
ticket out of the ghetto.
Jesse, at least by outward appearances, has a relatively-easy go of it in
life. After all, she lives in a sprawling mansion in the suburbs and has her
own sports car. However, because her absentee single-mom is always away on
business, the unsupervised teen suffers from loneliness and the consequences
of a series of poor choices that have led to promiscuity, substance abuse
and STDs.
For Jesse spends the bulk of her free time slumming, since she has a thing
for Go-Go music and Jungle Fever for brothers, which explains why she
gravitates towards hanging out with Tosha. But the plot thickens when she
falls for the charms of a smooth-talking DJ (Silvestre Rasuk) already
involved with Tosha. At that point, all bets are off, and the two go "Toe to
Toe."
Hell hath no fury like a sister scorned, especially for a wigger.
_______________________
Toe to Toe
(2010)
