The Fits

"The Fits" is a surrealist film and it should be seen as one. Not everyone is a fan of surrealism and that is why they dislike this movie so much, but do not be discouraged if you do not understand every part of "The Fits", it is meant to make you think. I will say, the acting is excellent, specifically the lead, and everything is beautifully shot. If you are seeing this movie and have never seen a surrealist film, do not be discouraged, instead look into surrealist film and use this movie as an example, because it's a wonderful one. 9/10 is a little high for me but I believe this movie is misunderstood and it deserves reviews from people who understand it or at least try to.

This movie blew me away. A smart and well made film that takes it's time, develops characters, spotlights fitting in, and actually has symbolism that means something. The direction, cinematography, lighting, acting, and general filmmaking on display is masterful. The only negative I can think of is that is can feel a little too slow sometimes. Even then It always kept my interest. I really enjoyed this film and can't wait for the director's next project.

Independent Director Anna Rose Holmer (Producer of Jody Lee Lipes' "Ballet 422"), along with writer Saela Davis, present a female coming of age project filled with few words, yet provocative in meaning and intention. The cast is filled with real life youth Cincinnati drill team members, featuring strong raw performances by Toni (Royalty Hightower), her cool brother Donte (Antonio A.B. Grant Jr.), and the lovable Breezy (Alexis Noblest), all who are trying to find their way in a society that has forgotten about them. Because dialogue is at a minimum here, with individual performances driving the film and dialogue delivery at times amateur, the viewing audience must make what they will out of the vague storyline presented. Unfortunately, this lazy-faire direction by Holmer leaves the film with spurts of boredom. However, when the viewing experience is over, one can't help but want to speak to someone about what was just presented. Is "The Fits" about the desire to fit in, the epidemic currently playing out in Flint Michigan, about bonding at all costs, or something completely else? While the film may be garnering a lot of attention, I heard more "C" ratings than "A" ratings at the screening I attended (including mine), and many film attendees (again including myself) were left with more questions than the film answered.

In a reverse of your typical stereotypes, main protagonist Toni is a girl who actually starts out as a boxer (in training, mostly so that her boxing brother can keep an eye on her while he trains) decides to make a switch to the all-girl dance team that practices next door. It's a great coming-of-age story about a girl trapped in a bubble she needs to pop. When I saw the trailer, I noticed that the lead actress playing Toni is getting mad props for her performance, which she does deserve, but I also fell in love with the performance of the supporting actress whose plays Breezy, the friend that Toni makes when she joins the dance crew. The entire relationship was done simple and natural and yet sends a powerful message on friendship. Watching both of these young black actresses on the screen sharing scenes together made the movie for me. There was a big metaphor in the movie that I did not fully understand about the girls having seizures because of contaminated water, it has something to do with fitting in but I'm not fully sure. Otherwise, I absolutely enjoined this movie, especially the chemistry between the two young actors

'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. Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D9ZNHDah5M

I found this movie on Amazon streaming. The premise seems interesting and some reviews made it seem worthwhile. When it was over I was totally underwhelmed. An 11-yr-old girl is training to be a boxer and she decides to join the school dance team. In the midst of all this girls at times pass out, for no apparent reason. The best part of the movie is at the very end when the dance team, in pretty uniforms, are doing a routine in the drained and dry Olympic size swimming pool. When you have an independent, artsy movie like this it must have very particular meaning to the filmmaker, but if the movie fails to convey that meaning to the viewer then it is not really a success. This one is not a success, at least not in my viewing of it. Now I wish I had skipped it.

This mysterious and intriguing indie will probably only appeal to a certain slice of viewer, especially those that don't need the plot elements of a film to all fit neatly together. I usually like my movies to have decent resolutions to any questions raised, but this movie kept me interested throughout its sparse 1 hr. and 12 min. time frame. Royalty Hightower is exceptional in her starring role here as 11-year- old Toni, who's training for boxing at a Cincinnati community center with her older brother Jermaine (De'Sean Minor), who is employed there. When Toni sees an acclaimed dance team training at the center she joins them, but has trouble fitting in due her her shyness. She will eventually bond with another new young dancer Beezy, very ably played by Alexis Nesblett. Soon however, things become very strange, as several of the older girls begin to get seizure-like symptoms, labeled "the fits". No one can seem to find the cause of these fits, and this causes chaos amongst the dance team. Overall, this film's strengths are the natural acting of the cast and its very creepy atmospherics. However, don't expect any character development or entire resolutions to the plot machinations. Also, I would say Anna Rose Holmer, who is making her major motion picture debut as writer and director, shows good promise here, and I'd certainly be interested in seeing what else she brings to the screen.

NYU cinematography undergraduate Anna Rose Holmer began as a camera assistant on Catherine Hardwicke's TWiLiGHT (2008) and as a grip on Lena Dunham's TiNY FURNITURE (2010). In 2014, she began scouting Cincinnati, finding not only the absolute perfect school rec hall for her directorial debut but an entire cast of young girls, all of whom attended the school. Holmer establishes a pure, uncompromising cinematic style by quietly following Toni, an 11-year old girl boxer who roams spooky hallways, longingly gazing at "legit" dance team members. The precocious newcomer Royalty Hightower has a perfect blend of introverted determination and wandering magic, while an unexplainable contagion seems to be inhabiting random girls within the school. What is so unique about The Fits is its power to hypnotize any viewer who is prepared for a full-blown transcendental journey. In fact, Anna Rose Holmer's relentless otherworldliness is exactly what puts her feature debut The Fits at the top of my list. Not only does Holmer's film combine the rigid silence and physical exertion of Robert Bresson's A MAN ESCAPED (1956) and Claire Denis' BEAU TRAVAiL (GOOD WORK, 1999), the eerie off-center camera-work by Paul Yee evokes the foggy locker rooms in Brian DePalma's CARRiE (1976) and the abandoned buildings in Paul Lynch's PROM NiGHT(1980). Most importantly, Holmer's film gives her female protagonists actual character arcs. As the mysterious virus continues to attack the class, each sequence and every shot should become more important to the audience. This cinematic process forces viewers to emotionally dig-deep within themselves to truly connect with what these pre-teen inhabitants are speechlessly experiencing. For those who stay in-synch with this 72-minute, mini-masterpiece and allow themselves to feel one of the most unique and sensational finales in recent years, genuine catharsis might actually be attained. Review taken from my 2016 Sundance Film Festival wrap up at www.48hills.org

I am pretty generous with movie reviews. this one is pretty crappy. 55 min of a little girl not fitting in, doing boxing then randomly doing dancing and not fitting in well with no explation. then 55 min later girls start to have seizure and float for no reason, and nobody questions it. many questions and no answers, then the movie ends. pretty dumb

I always find it somewhat of a shame when a movie that has everything going for it falls flat on its face. That's what happens in "The Fits". The description here on IMDb properly describes the movie. Unfortunately the movie itself does little more to take it beyond that description. The directing and acting is excellent, especially by lead actor Royalty Hightower. She is not alone, backed up by some excellent casting for the parts of her best friend and her brother. Were this a simple slice-of-life movie it would be acceptable and interesting. But it doesn't qualify as such. It takes the viewer down a specific road of semi-realistic insight into the life of a black adolescent girl, then throws that all out the window with what can only be described as a plunge into script-writing and directing self-indulgence. I always wonder how so many people can be involved in creating a work like this without someone stepping up and saying, "Hey, has anyone noticed the plot line stinks?" At the end, the viewer is left asking, "What was that supposed to be all about?". The result is a mixture of enjoyment, shock and disappointment as we realize yet another movie with potential has been flippantly cast to the canines. Yes, pun intended. You'll need some humor after watching this.