There is something hidden underneath the surface of "We The Party" that I cannot decipher.
Take five teens and put them into a box of conformity and wanting. You're not the coolest, nor the most popular, but you want to be the first to win at everything. It's human nature. "We The Party" suffers a bit when challenging the audience to feel like they know these characters, when honestly, it doesn't come across as so with a story we've seen and heard plenty of times before.
The character development, for what it's worth, wasn't that bad for the primary cast. I felt as though Mandela Van Peebles (son of Mario Van Peebles, the film's writer-director) was a risky choice for the lead role, but he pulled it off. Mario's other son, Makaylo, who plays Obama, also has a bit of screen time as well, with slight emotional depth to his character. The character Chowder is relatable to most people, and surprisingly, Patrick Cage II conquered the role stupendously.
I felt like the other characters could have been worked on more in terms of making it about an outsider clique instead of just about Hendrix himself. It's not until the final forty minutes when I see the future potential in Mandela, who delivers a strikingly good performance alongside rapper Y.G., who manages to steal every scene he's in. In terms of casting, it was good, to say the least.
Here is my take on "We The Party". It had a good story going. It is an R-rated film hosting a young, predominant, African-American cast. A bit of "Romeo and Juliet", with fractions of "The Breakfast Club" and whatever other teen film which involves heavy, seductive partying and betrayal. I think "Party"'s downfall is that it didn't have a specific moral or subject to cling onto. Yes, we want success. Earning it is harder. But when clouded with a clichéd storyline about not fitting in, trying to get the girl, and going from zero to hero, it becomes stale. The uniqueness of "We The Party" is the authenticity of the actors. There wasn't a time when someone or something felt forced -- but when the story is the same, almost, it becomes unoriginal.
"We The Party" is definitely on my favorite list of films. I think with the proper marketing and tweaking of the story, this film could've been financially and critically successful. Mr. Van Peebles heart is in the right place, but when you start on something real, you have to be willing to lay all the cards down. The R-rating didn't sugarcoat the language, but in the real world, there's more to divulge into in the adolescent world filled with drugs, sex and violence.
I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good independent film with a few laughs and character's struggle with identity. However, if you're looking for the next "Thirteen" or "Project X", this is not the film for you.
