YELLING TO THE SKY (2011)

Written & Directed By: Victoria Mahoney 
Cinematography By: Reed Morano 
Editor: William Henry 

 Cast: Zoe Kravitz, Gabourey Sidibe, Jason Clarke, Antoinique Smith, Shareeka Epps, Tim Blake Nelson, Billy Kay, Tariq Trotter, Yolanda Ross, Marc John Jeffreis, Sonequa Martin-Green

As her family falls apart, seventeen year old Sweetness O'Hara is left to fend for herself in a neighborhood where her survival is uncertain.

This is one of those feel bad stories. That I believe families like this do exist, but do we need to keep seeing them. The film I ally offers a glimmer of hope towards the end. Which I guess is to show survival. It just doesn't feel totally earned.

The film feels sentimental and false though it tries to seem like it comes from a rough place.

The performances are good. It has actors who I actually like and I don't feel work enough. (Like Antoinique smith, shareeka epps) and others up are starting to be in a lot of films (Zoe Kravitz, Jason Clarke)

Gabourey Sidibe appears in this movie, her second, with Zoë Kravitz. Sidibe's debut was Precious which features Kravitz's father, Lenny Kravitz.

Many times watching the film I wondered, why the main character gets hardened and does what she has to do to survive and not necessarily escape, but improve her situation. Ninety-two page script, was shot in eighteen days total, with two takes maximum

While we see glimpses of her old self. The hardened self she provides to people seems more like an act and not necessarily a true change of character. The film expects the audience to fill in the Blanks a bit too much. and then understand everything that is going on. It also makes a mistake later in the film by having a character who seems out to help all of a sudden, be just as bad and exhibiting just as bad behavior . Then all of a sudden be out to save her. Again it's not believable. I understand having flawed characters, but it feels like a false note.

It's not a horrible film. It just feels a bit derivative of a downtrodden family drama play mixed in with the dynamic indie films of the 90's. When downtrodden stories with a idiom or not was getting funded all over the place with a release. If it seemed different or shocking exposing a audience to what was more hidden. Seemed new and cutting edge. Now it seems something we've seen way too much.

Not really having something new to say. Even the families mixed race. really never comes into play or is really mentioned.

It's not horrible. You just have a feeling. You've seen this before only here in a different dressing.

The actors try to bring depth to the material and wring it for all it's worth.

 Grade: C