The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (2013) User Reviews

And the pain of hunger and heat

[pcrawake · 7/10 · 1 February 2014]

I'd bet a lot of white people look at this movie at first glance in a 'Blindside' type of way. This isn't a black movie or a white movie or a white guilt type of movie or exploitation type of movie.

The Inevitable defeat of Mister and Pete is just a good movie about a young boy with dreams, in a terrible spot. His mother is doped out, he lives in a rough neighborhood and there is no way for things to get better (even though he aspires to become an actor and make a better life for himself).

When the police crack down on the drug trade in his neighborhood, his mother is picked up. Mister and Pete (the young boy who was staying at his apartment because his mother was on a binge) spend the summer trying to survive and stay out of riverside orphanage.

A hallowing story about life--not black life or the ghetto, a story about life when things are bad and all that matters is surviving, the Inevitable defeat of Mister and Pete takes the viewer into a world they most likely never see.

This movie had a great message of survival and perseverance and hope and left me believing, if I just keep living and fighting, everything will work out.

The dialogue at times was a little forced, I felt, to convey the situation of helplessness--but I can live with that, as the script on a whole was pretty good. It's hard to convey so much with just dialogue and I thought the writer, Michael Starrbury did a pretty good job.

It was well Directed, but George Tillman Jr has proved he is an elite director imo.

Skylan Brooks (Mister) probably set himself up to be in countless movies in the future and I'd like to see him in a comedy next.

Jennifer Hudson, even though she didn't have that many lines was able to fulfill her role perfectly.

This was a good movie and definitely worth the time it took to watch it.

If you want to get in touch with your inner poverty

[Richie-67-485852 · 7/10 · 27 December 2013]

Poor minorities forced to struggle while trying to survive is what you have to look forward too. When children are involved, it hits home a little harder. The subject matter is no stranger to us. The Grapes of Wrath is where Steinbeck took us and we got large doses of prejudice, poverty and hopelessness delivered to us in a book and movie form. Here however we are exposed to the grittiness and underside of the problem mixed with crime and degradation through drug addiction to make the poverty point. I am sure anyone watching this may have a flashback or two of their own upbringing and either say I can relate or there go I but for the grace of God. It will move you that way. The young stars did excellent job and not once did they stare into the camera or let you believe they were acting. You were living it as they were and that is worth a mention. Yes to seeing this movie and it is worth the price of a ticket. Yes to definitely having a snack, tasty drink and finger foods. Parts will move you and cause you to really know...this is real and because of that may be lightly disturbing for some...Good because that is how change comes about

Seriously? A Sad Movie isn't a Bad Movie

[Caesarboy5 · 8/10 · 4 February 2014]

Why did this film get such bad reviews? Because it wasn't your typical happy story, that's why. People these days (yeah I'm just an 18 year old, but still) just can't enjoy sad movies. They feel as if a movie doesn't make you happy it isn't good for some reason.

THE GOOD

I'm here for the people who believe otherwise. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete exceeds in all aspects of film. My favorite part about it was it's unusual sense of realism.

You expect the kid to get the acting job, you expect the kid to get helped out when he's getting beaten up, you always expect the typical helping hand that every other movie protagonist gets. It made the film unpredictable and makes it feel like it's giving a more legitimate look at the struggle of the poor than most films.

The acting is also a strong point. A film revolving around child actors is always a hit or miss. This film was a hit. Skylan Brooks is one of the best child actors I've ever seen. Ethan Dizon does a good job, too. The rest of the cast was well selected, although no one stood out as much as the two leads.

Everything else, like pacing, cinematography, music, and etc... is great. It seems like the film was put together by people who knew what they were doing.

THE BAD

My problem with the film is personal. It just didn't impact me the way the films I rate 9 out of 10 usually do.

Don't take this as a bad thing, though, because this film has the potential to easily become one of your favorite movies.

VERDICT

As you can see, everyone who actually paid attention to the film (the people who wrote reviews) really enjoyed the film. By now you can probably gauge if this is the type of film you will enjoy. If you think so, give it a watch and be sure to write your own review.

8.5 out of 10

This film needs a much higher rating

[nettrice · 9/10 · 26 January 2013]

I saw this film at Sundance and the cast and crew got about four standing ovations. People who raved about Fruitvale said this film tops it. This a great film! This film is a cross between Spike Lee's Clockers (1995) and Hirokazu Koreeda's Nobody Knows (2004), with a bit of Fresh (1994) mixed in. Based on a true story, Nobody Knows portrays siblings who are abandoned by their mother and forced to survive on their own. Resiliency is a trait of many urban kids. Even in tragedy they were just kids. Mister and Pete doesn't try to let the audience "off the hook". The performances pull you in, or at least it did for me.

I was surprised to see how low the ratings were for this film.

Amazing actors telling an often overlooked story

[meganmcgee · 10/10 · 4 October 2013]

I was lucky to see this at the Milwaukee Film Festival with the director, writer and two leads in attendance. The children who play the 2 main characters gave incredibly honest and nuanced performances, especially considering the harsh reality of the characters. Skylan Brooks has some real acting chops and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Apparently it took quite a while to get the film funded and then distributed - until some bigger names like Jennifer Hudson signed on, they studios responded saying "No one will pay to see a film about inner city children." This film, however, is not only important (because of its oft overlooked subjects) but also beautifully told with compelling characters. I found myself laughing as well as gasping in shock, sitting on the edge of my seat, and tearing up.

Even 5 days after seeing it, I'm still thinking about it and how this story plays out every day. Now that's a well told story!

Mister and pete, youngsters trying to survive alone in Brooklyn.

[TxMike · 8 February 2019]

For some reason we missed this movie when it came out in 2013 so we just watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

As the movie opens we see 13-yr-old Mister (yes, that is actually his first name) in class, looking gloomily at a paper with an "F" grade, it looked as if he surely was going to repeat 8th grade in his Brooklyn public school. Then when we see him at home it appears that his mother is using drugs again, needle and spoon nearby. When she takes him out to eat he discovers her in the men's room, on her knees, servicing a man in a stall.

Mister has a very unusual life among the crooks, prostitutes, pimps, and drug dealers in his neighborhood. He is always angry but we see he has a core of good in him, he wants to escape his situation, he finds a leaflet for auditions on August 7th for a role in a production in California. He fashions himself as an actor and often recites scenes from the movie "Fargo". He starts telling others he will be moving to the West Coast soon.

This is a coming of age story of two boys, Mister and his younger friend Pete whose mother is in a similar situation as Mister's mom. When the moms get arrested the boys attempt to fend for themselves, live in the apartment alone, dodge the police, stay out of the juvenile home for boys like them. For a while.

Skylan Brooks is in the role of Mister, Ethan Dizon is his young friend Pete. Mister's mom is played well by Jennifer Hudson as Mom Gloria. The movie is often hard to watch because we know there really are children and families in situations like this in large cities, just struggling to survive. But it does end with a few rays of hope for Gloria and the boys.

This Movie was Pretty Good!

[jas-primas · 7/10 · 27 October 2014]

the movie all in all was a really good movie, it actually brought tears to my eyes. It's funny, it leaves you in suspense and it also leaves you in tears. I loved the plot, but it left a LOT of unanswered questions....

What happened to Pete? What happened to Alise? Did they move back to the projects? and again...what happened to Pete?

Pete was one of the main characters so this really makes no sense. Alise just left and never came back - was she killed or something? (I guess we'll never know)

Will there be a 2nd series to this movie?

Not alone

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 22 December 2014]

You may have two female singers turned actors, you may have Anthony Mackie and Jeffrey Wright (in roles you might not expect them, especially the former), but the real stars are the two kids. It's amazing how they play their roles. This movie is really gripping and it's all because of the two children who make this movie. The casting people and whoever else was responsible for getting them cannot get enough praise for the job they did.

Same as mentioned above goes for the children, but also the script and the directing. You never feel like you are being preached at and it still manages to convey its message. On the disc I watched there are a few deleted scenes, which are also worth watching. Some might even say, they should've been in the movie too. That's for you to judge, but won't take anything from the impact of the movie, only enhance it

Little Gem of Movie

[ricochet93-369-308802 · 7/10 · 3 May 2020]

A story of two kids fending for themselves in the tough surroundings of the projects in New York.

All around brilliant acting by the cast, well worth a watch.

The story of two neglected, young boys trying to survive on their own in the harsh

[tilona-moore · 10/10 · 11 October 2013]

This movie is all around amazing! (Acting was phenomenal!) It's so moving and so gut wrenchingly realistic, it's mind blowing. It pulls so many emotions from you at once, it will leave you breathless. I would recommend this film to anyone regardless of race or class because this story transcends all those lines. I especially recommend it for teachers, parents, and those children who are mature enough to handle the subject matter because this is something that should be discussed with the younger generation.

I saw this movie at a private screening and we had a Q&A afterwards. It was very interesting to hear people's opinion (some of whom were from similar backgrounds as the two boys ) and see how it affected the entire audience was.

Between the parent's absence and the child protective service, the struggle lies!

[Reno-Rangan · 7/10 · 4 November 2016]

This is a wonderful film, but not the first time I'm seeing. I mean there's a similar film called 'Children of Invention' about two Chinese-American kids. So this film tells the similar story about two kids whose parents were drug addicts. After they were taken by the cops, the two boys try to live by themselves, struggling to feed and hiding all day and night long from the authorities. But how long this thing can go and with a little message, the story comes to an end.

I won't say it was better than the other title I mentioned, but surely well developed than that. Still, I did not like the conclusion. There are some flawed parts like the shopkeeper trying to avenge in front of the cops. Yet the overall film was kind of realistic. That approach is what I liked from this. The two lead kids were brilliant. The entire film revolves around them, basically the camera never takes off the lens from them.

At some point it gets emotional, but the negativity was actually telling the truth. I mean the child welfare is to protect them, but not in this film, any film around the world, they are portrayed like they are the child snatchers. Like a boogeyman. That must change which is in the hands of the organisation to alter their approach to handling such situation. Definitely it is a must see film, despite a few defects. The theme was strong with drugs and sex references, so I think it is not suitable for the kids, despite two kids in the lead. But I think it would work if they were supervised by their parents.

7/10

A Gem of a Movie

[tours-72388 · 8/10 · 2 May 2017]

Masterfully told, poignant and memorable, this film was an emotional home run. Every character was vivid and raw, especially the compassion-evoking, young lead, "Mister." Jennifer Hudson was just short of brilliant in her portrayal of a troubled, desperate mother, spiraling out of control, plagued by the repercussions of too many poor choices. This film is grittily realistic, thanks to a near-perfect cast and superb, thoughtful storytelling. Love it.

Sad But with kids overcoming!

[julieaz · 6/10 · 9 March 2021]

This is a movie about life that actually happens in the USA. Kids that have to grow up fast because they have drug addicted parents and they work hard to avoid going into foster care. It's a sad reality that even in 2021 kids are being the parents to their uneducated, drug using parents. The kids of today are future leaders of tomorrow! Sad movie, but a good one to remind you that when you see a kid/teen in need, they are not really a bad kid. They just might need some help.

Insightful but heavy-handed chronicle of emotionally damaged prepubescent from the projects still lacks obligatory charm

[Turfseer · 4/10 · 24 February 2014]

'The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete' is a first-time screenplay by Michael Starburry. His protagonist is the 'Mister' of the title played by Skylan Brooks. The plot is rather simple: when Mister's crack-addicted mother (played by Jennifer Hudson of 'Dreamgirls' and 'American Idol' fame) disappears during one particular summer in a Brooklyn public housing project, 12 year old Mister and Pete (an eight year old abused Asian-American kid Mister's mother is supposedly taking care of for a drug addict acquaintance), must fend for themselves.

Right off the bat the premise is a bit hard to swallow. Perhaps it's happened in some rare cases, but the idea that two young kids would go unreported for an entire summer without anyone from child protective services being notified, would be a rare event. Nonetheless, 'Mister and Pete' plays out more like a 'fable' than a drama culled from real events.

Still, Starburry's narrative suffers from wandering aimlessly throughout the bulk of its second act. The whole idea is that Mister has become hardened by events and characters in his environment. He can no longer act like a normal twelve year old and falls into a shell where he doesn't allow anyone to help him. It's called 'tough guy posturing' and beginning with the overly aggressive Mister cursing his high school teacher out for giving him a failing grade in school (despite his teacher offering him a ride home in his car), we must endure (over and over again) this kid 'with an attitude', until he experiences an epiphany at the denouement.

Starburry also attributes an additional character flaw to Mister, more befitting of a young adult: the quest to 'make it big' in the entertainment business. The deluded Mister believes that if he passes an audition for a TV show based in Beverly Hills, this will solve all his problems. He even has Mister reciting a well known scene from the film 'Fargo' as his audition piece

The aforementioned 'tough guy posturing' attributed to our protagonist is the result of a series of interactions that causes Mister to clam up emotionally. The most dramatic of these interactions occurs when he spies his prostitute mother performing a sex act on a man during a bathroom break, while the family has been having lunch.

There are additional interactions Mister has with a series of characters from the projects including a bully who at one point beats him up, a gang leader (Anthony Mackie) who gives Mister a wad of money after taking pity on him and a homeless man (Jeffrey Wright), who suddenly warms up to Mister, after the beleaguered kid shares some of his dwindling food supply with the gruff bum on the street.

Occasionally, Starburry goes in for cheap stereotypes, like the grocery store owner (was he supposed to be Arabic or Indian?) who attempts to strangle poor little Mister after the kid obnoxiously overturns a few store displays inside the man's store.

Only Jordin Sparks manages to temporarily evoke a sympathetic note as Mister's 'adult friend' who promises to help the 'home alone' kids but even she ends up mysteriously vanishing, later revealed to run off with a well-heeled white guy from the suburbs.

After resorting to stealing to put food on the table, Mister finally sees the light and runs for 'help' after poor Pete falls ill. This leads to both being discovered as neglected children and ending up in a dreaded juvenile institution (which Mister imagined initially to be some kind of torture chamber). All's well that ends well for Mister, when his mother turns up sober at the facility and reclaims him. But what about little Pete? Presumably he'll remain with the state, until his own mother gets herself together (or will she?).

Unlike most reviewers, I did not find Mr. Brooks' performance as the hardened 'Mister', to be at all enjoyable. But whose fault is that? Clearly Mr. Starburry's, as the first time screenwriter boxed himself into a corner by making 'Mister' into a thoroughly obnoxious character throughout. Yes we did get the point that Mister was a victim of his environment, but still, wasn't there a way to make him a little more charming? Even kids who have been "damaged" by their tough upbringing have their likable sides. Kudos to Mr. Starburry for pointing out how tough growing up in the projects can be--but his main character simply needed a few more shades of gray!

precious meets slumdog millionaire

[sampxmiller · 10/10 · 3 October 2013]

I loved this movie! the acting was amazing, it was beautifully written and directed and the soundtrack is amazing. definitely one of my favorites this year. I loved that it is a contemporary story about what it must be like to be hungry in America and living on the edge of poverty but it is never heavy handed or melodramatic. there have been a ton of really good African American films released this year but this is the only one which is based in the here and the now versus a history lesson of one sort or another. It is also unique in that it is from a kid's perspective which is innocent and less bleak than an adult's. Also there is a great new song from Alicia keys at the end of the movie which has never been released.

perseverance and strength

[charlia · 10/10 · 30 September 2015]

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete was a very emotional movie. It portrays the real life struggles some children have to go through and how they persevered to make it out. This movie is one of my favorite movies because it is so realistic. Both of the children were on their own without their mothers and like it or not, all they had was each other. They grew a beautiful bond and learned how to survive on their own in the toughest conditions. Mister and Pete scrambled all around the city by their selves to not end up in foster care. They were faced with many obstacles and still made it threw as young as they were. This movie teaches perseverance and strength. It also shows you that you are never alone even though you may feel like it.

Wonderful movie.

[KnockKnock1 · 27 September 2017]

This film reminded me of the tale of Huckleberry Finn. That story's inner strength lies with the adventures boys get up to when their parents are not around. This film tells a similar story about two boys but involving a more modern plot, that of what two boys get up to when their drug addict parents are taken away by the state.

Child Welfare exists to help children, but they don't always make the best decisions. Sometimes kids fall through the cracks or are directly or indirectly harmed by its policies and actions.

The two boys try, fail and eventually find a way to live some semblance of a normal life despite working hard to avoid the authorities themselves. Some of the acting is uneven at times and the scene with the shop keeper didn't play out right. However the two lead actors were very good most of the time. It's hard work carrying a film, its even harder to do that at such a young age. The entire film revolves around them, they are in every scene. Its a film that is at times painful to watch, but the way the two characters bond is really realistic and well done.

Worthy

[fmwongmd · 7/10 · 3 July 2019]

Well told,well directed humanizing story of inner city ghetto life with admirable acting by Skylab Brooks.

Sweet, troubling, sad, and so well acted it has to be seen

[secondtake · 8/10 · 28 March 2015]

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (2013)

A deeply thoughtful movie about two charming kids who end up going it alone in the projects when their addicted mother is taken away. We are taken into the bowels of a pretty realistic low income housing world in New York City. The portrayal of the dangers might actually be watered down a bit, and it feels weirdly depopulated a lot of time, but the squalor and the general grim feeling works.

What clinches this movie, and no one will argue this, is the performances of both the leading actors, Mister and Pete. Mister, an African-American kid with thoughtful eyes, is about 12 and he's weirdly calm and sanguine through all the disasters. Pete, an Asian kid with sweet innocence written all over him, is a few years younger and needs Mister's protection. The odd but true friendship between the two is a lot of the movie, but the way each has to deal with the outside world in a series of difficult (and ugly and profane) incidents is what gives it depth.

It's fair to say this movie, and its African-American director George Tillman, have been overlooked. See it. It may not take creative leaps and it may not push every button at exactly the right time, but it has the sincerity and stunning leading actors to make it an important new film.

The inevitable lifestyle that should be quite evitable

[StevePulaski · 10/10 · 20 February 2014]

There are films like Tiny Furniture that detail a spoiled and ungrateful demographic that has all they can desire but still has the nerve to complain about trivialities in their lives. Then there are films like The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete that detail a demographic that has nothing but the clothes on their backs, local acquaintances, and the motivation of survival to get them through the day. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete is a bleak, bleak film with one heartwrenching scene after another that depict a frighteningly inevitable sadness that looms over the characters of the film like a dark storm cloud.

The film takes place during a summer in the projects of New York City that has been graced with a miserable heatwave. Where center on thirteen-year-old Mister (Skylan Brooks), who lives with his heroin-addicted mother Gloria (Jennifer Hudson), who prostitutes to get by in her rough neighborhood. Mister's only companion is a nine-year-old Korean boy named Pete (Ethan Dizon), whose mother is always absent and whom looks to Mister as an older brother. After Gloria is taken by police, the two spend their summer trying to evade child protective services and living life cooped up in a small, empty apartment.

Through these children, we get an intimate portrait of what it's like not to live in the projects but survive in them. The area is incredibly tumultuous, shady adults and ominous characters lurk on every street corner, and there's almost no hope of ever escaping or rising above this morose landscape. Returning to my opening paragraph, say people outside of the United States, who weren't wholly knowledgeable on the current state of the US poverty conditions, the income inequality, or the economy, saw Tiny Furniture. They'd probably see a large part of the country as affluent and ungrateful degenerates who don't know how good they have it compared to others. Now what if we showed them The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete? If anything, I think we'd break down any preconceived stereotypes that many people in the United States don't live lavish lives of royalty, but instead, day-by-day, struggling to survive, in the self-proclaimed "greatest country in the world." But this is just one of the several reasons why The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete is such a wonderful drama, bursting at the seams with stone-cold honesty and depictions of far-too-common hardships in the working class sector of urban landscapes.

At the center of the film is Skylan Brooks, who is the actor the entire film rests on. For a debut performance, Brooks could not have a bigger challenge, but he handles it superbly, painting the picture of a kid who is down but certainly not out. However, Brooks' Mister is undoubtedly vulnerable in this land, no matter the face he puts on. We almost consistently wait for the young kid to crack and breakdown, but he continues to keep on going through trying circumstances. By his side quite frequently is Ethan Dizon, whose performance is mostly wrapped in innocence and tender, young-boy geniality. He is a young boy who wouldn't hurt a fly, and occasionally seems out of the loop. But Dizon knows exactly how to portray this character with effectiveness so as not to make a helpless sidekick.

Frequently, the film reminded me of Alex Kotlowitz's There are No Children Here, a novel that meticulously detailed the lives of a family who lived in the Henry Horner Apartments, a former-public housing project in Chicago. The title came from the mother of the two boys the story focused on, and basically meant that because of all the young children have seen in their life - rape, murder, drugs, violence, gangs, among several other things - they were not children. They were practically adults because their innocence was taken at such a tender age they never had that blissful, childlike ignorance that almost all children have.

The children of the projects are totally different from the children of the suburbs, obviously, and writer Michael Starrbury makes strong note of that. While suburban children may ask their friends, "want to play at the park?" or even, "what did you think of school today," the characters of The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete ask one another, "is it okay to not love your mom?" and receive a response of, "you can't help but love her, but you can not like her."

Some will remark on the film's events as elements of emotional manipulation and desperate attempts by Starrbury and director George Tillman, Jr. to make us teary-eyed. I have seen many emotionally manipulative films in my day, and The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete doesn't classify as one of them because of the fact that it shows the reality of the situation in the projects. It shows what the news reports dare not penetrate. This film tells a story of survival by two kids who keep getting kicked down and tormented by horrid luck and a lackluster surrounding but persist on through thick-and-thin. Starrburry and Tillman, Jr. don't seem to care if you cry; they just care that you watch, listen, and learn.

The movie is emotionally draining but very much worth seeing especially for the kid playing Mister.

[cosmo_tiger · 9/10 · 3 January 2014]

"Is it OK not to love your mom?" Mister (Brooks) is having a tough time at school not only fitting in but with his grades as well. When he leaves the only place he has to go is home, to his drug addicted and basically absent mother Gloria (Hudson). One day he comes home to find Pete, a kid he knows in his room. Gloria informs Mister they will be taking care of him for a few days but no one sees what is coming next. First of all I have to start by saying this is a fantastic movie but hard to watch. I would compare it to Precious in that way. This one deals with how the kids take care of themselves in the only way they know how rather then living with an abusive mother. The movie is emotionally draining but very much worth seeing especially for the kid playing Mister. He was amazing in this and deserves some sort of nomination. He really brings powerful emotions to this and even when he breaks the law in some scenes you are still rooting for him. I can not say enough about this movie and it deserves to be seen by a larger audience then it will get. Overall, emotionally draining but a must see movie. I highly recommend this. I give it an A.

Awesome Movie!!!

[dreedreeone · 10/10 · 13 October 2013]

I just left the Theater from seeing this Movie. I've only had a chance to read one review before had to stop and give this Movie a Excellent Review!!!!!I Absolutely Loved it and fell in love with both Mister&Pete. The movie was Real" & Raw. So real and raw that could have been the name. But it was a Tear Jerker I cried at least 5 times I didn't want to cry again the last thing I wanted to have to do in the movies was blow my nose from all the crying. The first scene that made me cry was Pure Great Acting. I won't say which child it was that brought on the tears but different scenes will definitely tug at you heart, both boys were Absolutely Absolutely Amazing. I would love to see both of them in more movies. The review I read before writing this one said they didn't understand why the movie didn't get better Reviews I totally agree. This Movie is Reality that this is what's going on in Every City across the World. Not America', but the World. If you have a Heart when you watch this movie you will be so moved and inspired that you'll want to do something "Anything" to Help.I know I do. I give this movie a 10" star Review I Loved it!!!!

A solid movie with great acting and direction

[fadeinlight · 9/10 · 6 November 2014]

I'm usually not a fan of inner-city dramas, but this one is different. There's no overt political message--in fact, in that regards it comes off more like an impassive documentary: you are the disembodied eye, witnessing the lives of two young abandoned cubs as they struggle to survive in one of the harshest environments in the country. There's no finger-pointing, no cliché'd "bad guy"...in fact, (almost) everyone is a "bad guy" at one point or another, except for Pete (the voice of innocence, acquainted to the local Hell by a more seasoned Mister).

The acting by the two young heroes is fantastic--particularly from Skylan Brooks, who (I'm sure) will be gracing our screen for decades to come.

The directing is both solid and refreshing--Mr. George Tillman Jr.'s style features is a wonderful change from today's prevalent "cut to another scene every half seconds" style. He's not afraid to dwell on a seemingly-unrelated scene to fill in atmosphere, and he doesn't insult the audience by explaining what is clearly implied. His is a name worth remembering as well.

This movie is well worth a watch--I doubt many will find fault with it, as it shares some resonance with almost everyone.

Further proof that there are many reasons to invest in young actors of color.

[Amari-Sali · 8/10 · 5 April 2014]

Trigger Warning(s): Scenes of Drug Use & Violence against children

2013 contained a huge amount of films focusing on Black characters and the amount of diversity was quite good. But, naturally, some fell through the cracks. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, unfortunately, was one of those films which unless you lived near a major metropolitan area, likely the movie came and went without you knowing. This is despite Jennifer Hudson in the film, with other recognizable names such as Anthony Mackie, Jordin Sparks and Jeffrey Wright.

Characters & Story

Mister (played by Skylan Brooks) is a Brooklyn native with dreams of going to Beverly Hills and becoming an actor. But, with a drug addicted mom named Gloria (played by Jennifer Hudson) and a tag along named Pete (played by Ethan Dizon) things are stacked against him. But, upon his mom getting arrested, things go from bad to worse as he tries to fend for himself, and Pete, so they don't end up at the local group home which has a horrible reputation.

Praise

For once, I must say Jennifer Hudson did remind me why she has an Oscar. Her playing a crack addict/ prostitute, was believable and not as overdone as some of the other roles she has done in the past. But, while Hudson shows improvement, both Brooks and Dizon continue to prove that not all young talent in Hollywood have white skin. And the only reason I bring up their skin tone up is because, it seems like there is a real lack of investment in young people of color, and while I doubt this film will launch either young mans' career, their performances do justify continued work.

Brooks makes Mister into this raw character a little too exposed to his mother's lifestyle and you can see he has already begun the process of a hardened heart due to this environment. As for Dizon as Pete, he represents the innocence and naivety that Mister likely once had, and together they show how a child is before the exposure of a urban environment tears them down, and then their struggle in trying to survive before they give into the environment they grew up in.

Criticism

As for criticism, honestly there aren't any major issues with the film. I mean, I found Jordin Sparks' role as Alice sort of strange, if only because we aren't properly informed how she moved out of the projects, unless it was because of her love interest; and also I, again, wasn't sure what Wright's role as Henry was supposed to be, unless he was to further develop the environment by playing a homeless veteran. But, as you can see, there isn't anything majorly wrong, just little things to pick over.

Overall: TV Viewing

As a whole, honestly while I liked this film, I can't say it is worth seeing immediately. Though it is a good film, and definitely something which would make a good foundation for Brooks and Dizon's career, it just doesn't create an emotional impact. For while Hudson does better, she is nowhere near Mo'Nique's level in Precious; and while Brooks and Dizon will create sympathy within you, there is something in their performances, or perhaps the story, which makes it so you can get a full on connection. What I mean is, watching the film is sometimes like watching those commercials for starving African children. Yes, you feel bad for the kids, but once the commercial is over that feeling dissipates and you begin to forget all about them. And to me, all involved may have been good, but if you stack them up with other films with similar stories/ themes, they are unfortunately forgettable.

"I can't do it alone". . . ."None of us can"

[doug_park2001 · 9/10 · 17 February 2014]

{8.5 stars}

THE INEVITABLE DEFEAT of MISTER & PETE ("IDMP") is not quite as fully realized a story as 2009's PRECIOUS, but it has much the same atmosphere and, of course, shares the gritty down-and-out NYC setting. In other respects, it's a VERY different sort of film. Often stark, frequently amusing,IDMP goes in many unexpected directions.

Partly by necessity, it's rather slow-moving with regular bits of heavy suspense here and there. 60-70% (perhaps a bit too much) of it is confined to the abandoned apartment where the two young boys hide after Mister's mother is arrested. Though far from boring, with a number of turnabouts, IDMP may not completely satisfy those who are expecting more of an urban odyssey.

Skylan Brooks (14-year-old Mister) and Ethan Dizon (Pete, about six years younger) are naturals in their roles, and Brooks does a particularly outstanding job of acting-within-acting. Anthony Mackie also gives a laudable performance as Kris the pimp/drug dealer. Nevertheless, the characters of Mister and Pete are unconvincing in certain respects. Mister sometimes seems a bit TOO noble and crafty for a boy from his background who's failing eighth grade and usually just screams "Fuck you!" and runs off when he gets frustrated. Having said that, I think the point is that having Pete, who's been even more neglected than Mister himself, as a surrogate little brother and ally against the oppressive adult world brings out the very best in Mister, who also discovers the useful and liberating qualities of acting and role-playing in life's struggles. Pete also seems a bit too polite and well-spoken considering his age and background, but again, something would be lost if he were otherwise. One way or another, IDMP is a rich multi-character study of different people in squalid circumstances. It also shows the ethnically diverse atmosphere of Brooklyn without falling to the stereotypes we often encounter in this type of setting.