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On the Outs (2005)
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Reviews Counted:27
Fresh:25
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: With powerful lead performances, this gritty docudrama about the desperate lives of three young women in Jersey City packs an emotional wallop.
Runtime: 83 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Jul 13, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: An independent feature that chronicles the lives of three teenage girls in Jersey City who are involved with crack cocaine, ON THE OUTS does not shy away from the hard issues involved. Between the... An independent feature that chronicles the lives of three teenage girls in Jersey City who are involved with crack cocaine, ON THE OUTS does not shy away from the hard issues involved. Between the ages of 15 and 17, Oz (Judy Marte) is a street dealer whose mom is a recovering junkie, Marisol (Paola Mendoza) is an unemployed crack addict struggling to feed her infant daughter, and Suzette (Anny Mariano) is pregnant by her homeless, crack-dealer boyfriend (Henri Marteau). All three of the girls end up in juvenile detention, and from there their lives only get harder. Shot in a bright, color-saturated palette, with great handheld camerawork (reminiscent of early Scorcese or Nick Gomez's LAWS OF GRAVITY), this film rings with authenticity. The script, developed by Lori Silverbush, is terse and realistic, drawing on improv workshops that Silverbush held with inner-city teens who shared their actual stories. Of all the amazing performances from the actors, Marte's (RAISING VICTOR VARGAS) is the most particularly memorable and charismatic. Filmed on location throughout Jersey City, including shots at the juvenile detention center, this is an urgently important tale told with heartrending honesty, frankness, intelligence, humor, and compassion. [More]
Starring: Anny Mariano, Judy Marte, Henri Marteau, Paola Mendoza
Starring: Anny Mariano, Judy Marte, Henri Marteau, Paola Mendoza, Dominic Colon, Flaco Navaja
Director: Lori Silverbush, Michael Skolnik
Director: Lori Silverbush, Michael Skolnik
Screenwriter: Lori Silverbush, Michael Skolnik
Producer: Lori Silverbush
Composer: Ricardo Leigh, Brian Satz
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Release:
May 9, 2006
Reviews for On the Outs
Nothing short of awe-inspiring: riveting and real, a truly important work which is, blessedly, about something.
A trio of troubled Latinas linked by lawlessness in super-realistic, female empowerment flick not to be missed.
A sporadically powerful but uneven little film, in which moments of insight and conviction alternate with others that seem contrived and mawkish.
Judy Marte once again shows that she's an actress to watch. She's a commanding presence on screen and demands that you feel for her, even though her story is not the most sympathetic.
Harrowing and heartbreaking, On the Outs is persuasively performed by fine actors, yet has the real feel of a documentary.
Granted that On the Outs doesn't explore any new realms of destitute city life but it still contains unspeakable moments of desolation and disillusionment.
The filmmakers' sense of outrage is palpable, matched only by the despair coursing through the movie's brief 81-minute running time.
Saves itself from after-school- special territory thanks to tough, human performances and plenty of streetwise authenticity.
An attention-grabbing showcase for three promising actresses in sharply drawn lead roles.
The performances are terrific: None is showy or actorish but earnest, truthful jobs laying bare souls in anguish.
Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik's film must live and die on the strength of its lead performers. Luckily, most of the time they are up to the challenge.
Documentarians by trade, the directors use rough DV cinematography and no score to amplify their tale's sense of lived-in reality.
Though not highly structured, this is an intriguing docu-drama about teen delinquents in Jersey City.
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