The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (2013)

Directed by: George Tillman Jr.
Country: USA

Movie Review: Set in a problematic neighborhood in Brooklyn, “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete” tells us the story of two youths who share the same familiar problems, which often lead them to look for food in dangerous streets populated by scumbags and police. The skinny, courageous, and sharp-mouth Mister (Skylan Brooks) is an angered 14 year-old kid with strong pretentions to become an actor, who lives in frequent verbal aggressions with his irresponsible and vicious mother. His younger Korean buddy, Pete (Ethan Dizon), an abused, quiet, and loyal kid whose addicted mother was also busted, constantly follows him everywhere. These kids’ lives seemed too complicated to be depicted as a mere street adventure. Despite of some solid content evinced in this drama, the story wasn’t always able to convince me, and I truly believe that many aspects could have been improved here to better follow the good performances of the young actors. The score by Alicia Keys and Mark Isham, withdrew the rawness that would have been favorable in several moments, softening up some scenes where anger and frustration should reign. I presume that filmmaker George Tillman Jr. (“Soul Food”, “Notorious”, “Men of Honor”) had a large share of responsibility for this story hasn’t come out sufficiently consistent in its execution. Although the pace isn’t bad at all, it grows uneven towards a hopeful end that only enhances its feebleness.