The Fits

"The Fits" (2015 release; 72 min.) brings the story of Toni, an 11 yr. old girl. As the movie opens, we see Toni doing push-ups and working out in the boxing gym alongside her older brother. But afterwards she watches a nearby dancer troupe doing their workouts, and it's clear Toni wants to join them. Toni's brother encourages her and it's not long before Toni enters a whole new world. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the debut full-length feature from writer-director Anna Rose Holmer. Here she picks a familiar topic (coming of age, fitting in and social acceptance), but Holmer brings it in a unique way, focusing on an 11 yr. old girl whom we watch as she tries to find her way. There is no dialogue to speak of during the first 20-25 minutes of the movie. Instead, we decipher all we need to know from Toni's face and body expressions. Newcomer Royalty Hightower as Toni as an absolute sensation. Did I mention that the entire cast of this film is African-American? (Interestingly, Holmer herself is not.) The movie is set entirely in Cincinnati's gritty West End neighborhood (much of the film being set at the Lincoln Community Center). As a complete aside, I also noticed in the opening credits that the movie is presented by the Biennale di Venezia, yes, the famous arts fest. Bottom line: "The Fits" is an abstract, yet very real comment on a young girl's coming of age, dealing with social acceptance and related challenges.

The movie opened recently at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Tuesday evening screening where I saw this at was PACKED, to my great (but pleasant) surprise. The fact the movie was shot here surely had a lot to due with it. Equally surprising was to see how many young kids were in the audience. If you are on the fence, perhaps because the movie's short running time, please do yourself a favor and check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. You will thank me later.

I just don't get the reviews for this film. The acting was good if not great, but the story is just plain boring. Very little happens and what does is pretty unremarkable. I fell asleep about 3/4 of the way through the movie. My wife made it through the whole thing and was especially disappointed with the ending. Don't waste your time unless you're trying to get some sleep. OK, I have to add more lines to satisfy this site. That is so irritating and the reason I only add reviews for vastly underrated, and vastly overrated movies in my opinion. More lines needed. More lines needed. More lines needed. And yet more lines are needed. Unfortunately,even more lines are needed. Finally, enough lines!

'THE FITS': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Low-budget indie drama, that was a huge hit with critics last year. It's about an 11-year-old tomboy that's really struggling to fit into a girls' dance troupe, when the girls begin to suffer from an unexplained epidemic of seizure like fits. The film was co-written and directed by Anna Rose Holmer, in her feature film debut, and it stars newcomer Royalty Hightower. The movie was made on a budget of just $168,000 and it still managed to become one of the best reviewed films of last year (with critics). I enjoyed it, but obviously not as much as most of the critics have.

Toni (Hightower) is an 11-year-old girl, living in Cincinnati, who trains regularly at a Community Center boxing gym, with her brother Jermaine (Da'Sean Minor). One day she notices a girls' dance troupe practicing at the same gym, and she decides she might want to join them. After her brother talks her into it, Toni attends tryouts for the team. As she then attempts to fit in with the other girls, they randomly begin having unexplained violent fits, and it appears some sort of an epidemic is occurring!

The film starts out like a coming-of-age urban drama, and then it morphs into something else. There definitely appears to be a lot of symbolism going on in it, for real life problems and issues, but I'm not sure what the point of the whole movie is. Still, it is really well shot and acted. I'll admit it's definitely a well made movie, I guess I'm just not the right audience member to quite understand it all.

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A Cincinnati community center sees a sudden epidemic of incidents in which teenage girls start fainting and convulsing in Anna Rose Holmer's "The Fits," yet "science fiction" or "supernatural" are two words that belong nowhere near this film. Instead, Holmer uses this conceit as a tool in her 72-minute portrait of a tween girl finding her way socially and emotionally.

So little of "The Fits" counts toward plot or action that you might wonder why Holmer "dragged out" what feels more obviously like short film material into a feature. Yet her patience and artistry pay dividends, at least for the open-minded viewer. The camera pierces a further layer of its subject's —11-year-old Toni — psychology, allowing the viewer to enter deeper into her point of view.

Newcomer Royalty Hightower would obviously be a candidate to get credit for achieving such a high degree of empathy, but in actuality, it's Holmer's exceptional focus on Hightower. Her conscientious effort to tell the subtext of Toni's story more than anything else results in a film that speaks rather poetically to adolescence and self-discovery.

Toni is a determined girl who understands the importance of working hard more than most. She goes with her brother to the community center each day to train and learn how to box, but she's transfixed by the girls upstairs in the Lioness dance troupe. We immediately see both the committed, tireless side of Toni and the side of her that longs to be a dancer, and so it's clear that she can dance if that's what she desires most.

The premise of a girl boxer wanting to be a dancer is a refreshing subversion of gender role archetypes, and a gentle way for Holmer and co-writers Saela Davis and Lisa Kjeruiff to let viewers know that gender identity/roles are not a focal point of their story. This is a film about a girl finding herself, period.

We get all these long, lingering, quiet moments alone with Toni in order to really experience how she deals with the emotional storm of her own desires, social pressure and the fear and panic induced by this outbreak of "fits." And there's nothing particular unique in how she copes, which is what makes accessing her consciousness, as the viewer, so effortless. The power of this particular film comes from that experience.

All that said, it's hard not to wish that there had been just a few more external factors to add tension and drama to this story, especially with a premise that could've so easily gone that route. Kudos to Holmer committing to her cinematic portrait and not caving to more typical movie conventions, but something to hook the viewer a little more would have elevated her impressive artistry.

The average moviegoer won't likely stumble upon "The Fits," so there's not a whole lot of danger in it being misunderstood and dismissed for leaning more heavily toward poetry than entertainment, but perhaps that "supernatural" premise warrants a bit of a disclaimer. Go in looking to experience what it's like to be 11 again, however, and you'll be floored by what Holmer has accomplished.

~Steven C

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The Fits, is a deeply surreal film and it should be viewed by everyone. We recommend this one to the black community and everyone around the world. Anna Rose Holmer expresses real-life issues evolving around young girls and teenage girls, it draws young girls and people in to think. The acting, the dance, and the lead child star: Royalty Hightower was electrifying. Royalty Hightower is beautiful and amazing in this story. Beautifully shot modern film. It shares a message for all girls to fight and dance in what you believe in to be you no matter the circumstances in life. Stay strong. It's one of those modern black films that we never seen before and there's no other like it. This one is different and expresses impressive emotional art. Audiences that disliked this film just didn't find the time to understand it. The Fits is a must watch. Thanks to Anna and Royalty and the entire cast for make The Fits possible. Looking forward in seeing Royalty Hightower in more films. Anna Rose Holmer continue creating stories that inspire and would love to see Royalty Hightower in more of them.