Review of Towelhead (2008) by Chad M — 21 Jun 2009

Alan Ball, the man behind the tenderly witty â??American Beautyâ?? screenplay and the acclaimed â??Six Feet Underâ?? TV series leaves the ironic behind with a very serious and emotionally charged drama. â??Towelheadâ?? does deal with the cultural decline of the pretentious suburbia like Ballâ??s earlier achievements, but this time the focus of the story is in something deeper. Namely the roles and restrictions imposed upon women and the basic human tendency to make assumptions and categorize fellow people.

Through 13 year old Jasira the viewer is presented a harsh world filled with distrust, prejudice, sexual violence in league with moral double standards and sovinism, all neatly tucked under the carpet but affecting everything people do. And the disappointing part is that it all feels honestly realistic and plausible.