The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (2013) Review




There's something in-ev-i-ta-ble about an independent film that gets to me every. single. time. An independent artist pours her soul, passion, blood, sweat, and tears into every frame; every scene. The actors are chosen with precision and extreme caution. Sure, mainstream filmmakers meet all this criteria and some. However, the difference between the independent filmmaker and a mainstream filmmaker is money. An independent artist's passion and drive for recognition is left at the mercy of friends sharing the same the goal and the same dream to make the big-time. To go from a nobody to a somebody in the film industry, a filmmaker aims to submit her work to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. A successful film bypasses perfection, rather it brings in grit and emotion. First time, screenwriter, Michael Starrbury does just that.

 Starrbury, and Director, George Tillman Jr., partner with Alicia Keys to produce the 2013 independent film, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, a coming of age story of two courageous boys who struggle to survive in the housing projects in Brooklyn after their mothers are taken by the authorities.  Mister & Pete is a cut-throat, accurate portrayal of NYC in contemporary society. It aims straight for the gut while taking a dagger to the heart.

Mister, an angry 13-year-old, despises 9-year-old Pete. He is angry that his mother (Jennifer Hudson) is a drug addict who prostitutes herself to drug-lord, Chris. In the meantime, Pete's mother drops him off at Mister's house and after the naked truth of physical, emotional, and drug abuse, Mister finds himself in a predicament: cut ties with Pete or to save him from sexual abuse and mentor him over the course of one sweltering summer?

To avoid the housing authorities in the projects and Child Protective Services, Mister teaches Pete the in's and out's of survival in this dog-eat-dog world. "You always have to be prepared to run," Mister tells Pete. "Why?" he asks without hesitation. "You don't want to end up at Riverview, do you?" "No," Pete responds. There's your sign.  For the entire summer, Mister takes Pete under his wing and together they take care of each other by hustling for food, the basic need of survival.

Although Mister & Pete aims directly for the gut and puts a dagger in the heart, there are moments when I found myself wiping away the tears only to laugh with complete hysteria. Regardless, the brilliance of Mister & Pete is the passion, drive, and desire to keep fighting the good fight to not let Mister's past define him.  Clenching onto a withered audition call flyer, Mister holds onto his dream of becoming an actor. Fargo, "a hilarious movie about people with funny accents from Minnesota," is Mister's favorite movie. It's ironic. Fargo (1987) is a crime drama film based on a true story. Sex, violence, and fraudulence are underlying themes. All the characteristics that Mister despises. The masterpiece in The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete is Mister's vigilance in attempting to reach a "film audition to eagerly recite his curiously chosen monologue from the movie Fargo." During Mister's monologue the audience senses pain, desperation, and struggle.

Therefore, struggle is inevitable. Hardships are inevitable. Hope is inevitable. And so...The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete.

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