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Written for the screen Based on the novel by
Starring
Presented by Rated R 116 Minutes
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TOWELHEAD Review
There’s no denying that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this film from Alan Ball, his first screenplay adaptation and feature directorial debut. One controversy surrounds the title, which is used as a racial slur against the Middle Eastern race and is said repeatedly over the course of the film. The other is the film’s extremely suggestive manner. However, these detract from what the true nature of the film is, which is a horror study of a young girl’s adolescence and sexual awakening in a world and era that can be cruel, manipulative, and deceptive. It’s also one of the best films of the year. In 1991, thirteen year old Jasira (a stunning Summer Bishil, 19 years old at the time of filming) is a half American, half Lebonese girl living a life of seclusion in Syracuse, New York and after a bad encounter with her mother’s (Maria Bello in an extended cameo) boyfriend and coming of sexual age with her first period, she sends Jasira to live in Texas with her Lebanese father Rifat (Peter Macdissi in a towering performance), a strict, conservative man who is very hard on Jasira in every decision she makes. When she gets to her new surroundings, she is given a babysitting job next door to the Vuosos, where father Travis (Aaron Eckhart, worlds apart from THE DARK KNIGHT) is a Marine reservist waiting for the call to go to active duty when the first Gulf War starts. While Travis instinctively brands Rifat as a “Saddam lover,” he takes a liking to Jasira and reveals his dark, pedophilic secret after discovering that Jasira is obsessed with glamour models and wanting to be more beautiful. Ridiculed at school and not given much of a chance to find her own identity, she slowly comes of age sexually and emotionally in the form of both Travis and Tommy, a black student who becomes her boyfriend. Although the origins of TOWELHEAD come from novelist Alicia Erian, you can make a claim that this film is an unofficial sequel to AMERICAN BEAUTY, as there are so many similar elements from that classic into TOWELHEAD. Alan Ball has become a unique voice in film and television, and nobody brings forth the inner darkness of suburbia like Ball does. The script is strong and multi layered, with even minor characters given a chance to shine in arcs and moments that elevate the main characters to their denouements. Although I haven’t read the novel, I have been told it is extremely faithful to the source material, which just shows how talented Ball really is. The acting is amongst the best seen this year, with Bishil engaging in the lead. It will be hard to accept her as a 13 year old (and boyfriend Tommy as the same age) but in a way it helps in the cringe factor. She is so innocent and goes through a series of abuses that she mistakes for pleasures. There is an absolute chilling scene where Travis sexually confronts her for the first time and takes advantage of her hormones, however even he realizes he is doing something wrong. Jasira, new to sensuality, views this attack as pleasure, and the suggestive nature of the way the scene is shot (you don’t see the act itself) make for a truly uncomfortable scene. I know everybody knows Eckhart from THE DARK KNIGHT, but I think he’s better in this role. It’s more complicated for one to bring a charm to what prototypically would be an unsympathetic character to play but Eckhart shines and succeeds. Eckhart gets top billing but it’s a supporting role. Toni Collette, one of my favorite actresses, gives a picture perfect Texas drawl as Melina, a pregnant Peace Corps worker who gives Jasira the mother figure she so desperately needs. Matt Letscher, playing her husband Bill, is in a few scenes but is very stern and powerful, particularly in a major confrontation with Rifat. Peter Macdissi gives the film’s best performance as Rifat, a conversative Christian Lebonese man working for NASA. He is very strict on Jasira to the point of physical abuse at moments but ignores her to spend time with a flaky girlfriend. Rifat hates Saddam, loves America, and is very aware of the quick racist attitudes towards him just on his appearance. What Macdissi does so well here (and due in part to Ball’s script and Erian’s novel) is that you can understand why Rifat is the way he is. It doesn’t justify it at all, but you find a way to relate to him. It’s a shame because Macdissi should get an Oscar nomination but he will be overlooked. In all, TOWELHEAD is one of the better films of the year. It’s a great directorial debut for Ball and no doubt fans of his will love this. The film was originally going to be released as NOTHING IS PRIVATE (as it has in other countries) and honestly it’s just as fine a title, but there is much more meaning than just a racial slur here. This is a film about a woman’s horror through sexual adolescence and her discovery into becoming a woman. It isn’t the easiest to look at, but it’s the most honest, and that’s what makes this film one of the best of the year. TOWELHEAD: 9 Out Of 10 Maggots CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR ALAN BALL!!!
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