Review of Towelhead (2008) by Gareth M — 15 Apr 2009

At first some people might wonder about the decision to use a derogatory and offense racist insult as a movie title. Because it's a test. If you feel uncomfortable taking a movie called 'Towelhead' to the counter of the video store than this is not the movie for you because this makes for veeeeeery uncomfortable film. Whilst most teen sex movies that get labeled as 'honest' feature white boys swearing at each other and talking about wanking, Towelhead is honest in that it presents the viewer with every event in the sexual explorations of a young teen girl coping with desire, confusion and naivity. Being half American and half Lebonese, Jasira is already feeling out of place in her Texan neighbourhood.

This film is like the scene in Ocean's 11 when Brad Pitt instructs Matt Damon on how to work a con - it looks you directly in the face, and it's funny but it doesn't make you laugh. In all the comments about how confrontational the film is, many reviewers seem to have forgotten to take not of the humour. You'll rarely laugh out loud but the realistic characters, situations and mishaps tend to be very funny - in the same sense that Ball's television series 'Six Feet Under' is funny.

The performances are all fantastic, and all the characters are brilliantly assembled. No-one is left black and white, even the abusive and suppressive father and dodgy as hell neighbour are presented as...I don't want to say sympathetic...but understandable.

Well worth checking out - if you don't feel akward renting it. Having a MA rating for "Disturbing Sex Scenes Involving a Minor" stamped on the front might make things tricky as well.