Review of The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (2013) by Nathan M — 07 May 2014

Or the One Where I Seem To Be In The Minority...

I might be the only person who didn't find this as moving as everyone else. It's not bad, by any means, it's pretty good, but we've seen so many better films about inner city life, that I just found this to be too plain. It gets caught up in its own sentimentality too much for its own good, and I felt like I was trying to be forced to feel something I didn't feel.

There are some very good performances here, especially of child actor Skylan Brooks, and whoever played the bully with the fro. Unfortunately there isn't enough behind the typical stereotypes of inner city life to make this interesting enough to keep me going. I always enjoy seeing Anthony Mackie, and he doesn't disappoint at all. He gives a great performance as the pimp with a heart of gold.

The only performance I wasn't really in favor of was Jennifer Hudson, who's trying too hard to be something she's not. She wasn't nearly believable as a mom trying to make it in the inner city. She just seemed like an addict with nothing better to do. But maybe that's not on her, maybe that's on the script.

I appreciate what the filmmakers are trying to have happen here, and I see why so many people enjoyed this film, probably more than I did. I just found things to be weight too heavily on sentimentality for its own good. I didn't really feel too much for these kids, even when terrible things were happening. If you haven't seen American Violet, that's a great movie about inner city life and the toll it takes on families.