"Towelhead"

 2007 * R * 2h 4m  Director Alan Ball has mainly worked in tv and has "Six Feet Under"to his credit. He's also made interesting films and controversial movies like "American Beauty," and "Uncle Frank."  His 2007 film "Towelhead" isn't for everyone, that's for sure. It tackles several difficult topics like teen sex, racism, and pedophilia. It's hard to watch at times, but ultimately, I thought it was excellent. 

The story revolves around a young girl Jesira (Summer Bashir), who after her parents divorce, goes to live with her super-strict Lebanese-American father Rifat (Peter Macdissi) in Texas. The movie takes place during the onset of the first Gulf War and as a result, she has to deal with overt racism, both in school and her neighborhood. She just starting to awaken sexually, and is preyed upon by her neighbor's father, played by Aaron Ekhart. He's really creepy and you just want to smack him in the face. You keep your fingers crossed that something terrible will happen to him. 

She starts hanging out with a young black schoolmate, and feels the backlash when her father forbids her from seeing him, due to his own racism. Just when things look terrible, she's taken under the wing of a kindly neighbor Molina (Toni Collette), who knows what she's going through. Without giving away the anding, let's just say things get resolved. 

I thought the acting in this was terrific. Ms. Bashir really shined as did Toni Collette (as you've come to expect). If you're looking for something pretty powerful, check this one out. 

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Note to parents: This is definitely not for kids. 

Streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy.com. And to rent on Amazon Prime.