Toe to Toe (2009)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

That was an excellent one.

Let's be realistic.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

*spoiler alert*, you have been warned. I think this movie is incredibly under rated. The acting is great and the story is well developed. It puts things on there for a reason and not for display. For instance It shows various scenes of Jessie being unclothed in some bits but only because it's her character, when I look at her nude scenes I don't think "Oh it's sexy" I think, what is wrong with her? that is convincing acting. The characters are well developed and the things like nudity, violence and drugs are not glamorized like other suburban movies. The characters don't feel like complete card board such as movies like 13 and/or step up 2. It has 3D ring to it and you feel the characters. Anyhow If I was to rate this movie I would give it a 6.5 to be fair.

I truly enjoyed this movie. I am disappointed to see it has been rated so low. However, I am not surprised as this film has two lead female characters who grapple with issues of identity, sexuality, and companionship just to name a few. This film went much deeper than I expected and it was quite refreshing to see an authentic portrayal of teen women that did not involve some form of objectification and/or oppression.I work with teens and would consider showing this film to the young women that I work with as a teaching and discussion tool. The two actors were excellent in this movie. I was drawn in and found myself invested with both of the lead females. At the end I definitely had some empathy for Jesse. I have worked with many girls who are like her and now have a better understanding of their motivations.All in all, an excellent movie.

I caught this movie on cable. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was given the relatively unknown actors. The teens' dialogue seemed realistic and the depiction of the home life felt authentic. It came close to being "cliche ridden" but never quite got there. I presume the director had real life experience with the subject matter. I found myself caring about the characters. However, I wish there would have been at least one positive male role model. It was great to see Gaius Charles - who was terrific in Friday Night Lights - in a different role. In addition, Leslie Uggams did a nice job. For "The Wire" fans, there was a cameo by an actor who had a meaty role in that excellent series.

Not sure how in the H double hockey sticks I found this chick flick on netflix but overall it wasn't bad. For the most part the film is what you would expect. However the subject matter is a bit stronger than your typical after school special. Sonequa Martin is a talented actress. I probably would have stopped the film at the beginning but way she kept me involved. A funny thing happened towards the end, I felt really bad for the Jesse character. I guess I started reflecting back on my school years when I knew girls back in high school and jr high who were the "loose women". I've always took pride in myself for not being that person who would take advantage (or made fun) of others. Every know I still wonder what happened to those people.