The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete
Bader - ages 18+ - Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2013
George Tillman Jr. / Feature Narrative / United States of America / 2012 / 108 min / DCP / In English / Arabic subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Mature subject matter. Not suitable for minors. Individuals under the age of 18 are not admitted into cinemas.
Synopsis
In Competition
Mister and Pete, two inner-city youths from the Brooklyn projects, are left to fend for themselves after their mothers are taken away by authorities. Over the course of a brutal summer, the two learn how to survive on their own and how to navigate their unfriendly neighbourhood. They don’t want to be sent to childcare, but life in the ‘hood is harsh, unsuitable for kids – and it starts to take its toll.
The film skillfully portrays a realistic slice of life without resorting to the standard paraphernalia of gritty urban movies. As the title suggests, the film’s central characters are well aware of what is going on around them, but nevertheless have no intentions of resigning themselves to the violence they see around them. Similarly, director George Tillman, Jr. doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality of the environment, but a sense of hope and innocence permeates the core of this deeply emotional story, and a lighter tone springs even from the darkest of places.
Jennifer Hudson appears in a powerful supporting role as a drug-addled mother, but it’s teen actor Skylan Brooks who knocks it out of the park with his impressive performance as the indomitable Mister.
About the Director
After seeing Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976), Wisconsin native George Tillman, Jr. decided to become a film director. In 1994, he wrote and directed ‘Scenes from the Soul’, shot entirely in Chicago on a budget of only $150,000. In 1996, his second feature, the autobiographical ‘Soul Food’, saw substantial domestic success, which led to a first-look deal with Fox 2000 for Tillman and his partner Bob Teitel. His other films include ‘Men of Honor’ (2000), starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Robert De Niro and Charlize Theron, ‘Notorious’ (2009), and ‘Faster’ (2010) starring Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton.
Credits
- Director
- George Tillman Jr.
- Producer
- Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Robert Teitel, George Tillman Jr.
- Distributor
- ECS Film Distribution
- Cast
- Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Anthony Mackie, Jeffrey Wright