Capsule reviews for Dec. 30

Pariah

Writer-director Dee Rees makes a promising feature debut with this gritty Brooklyn tale about a teenage lesbian (Adepero Oduye) who fears coming out to her parents, so she rebels by befriending bad influences and deflecting suspicions while trying to honestly express herself. The project obviously is a personal tale for Rees, who deals with familiar issues in a fresh and honest way (spotlighting the unique plight of closeted black teens), even if the inevitable confrontation sequences feel somewhat contrived. The low-budget production values are a mixed bag, but Oduye gives a heartfelt and expressive performance. The cast includes Charles Parnell and Kim Wayans as the parents. (Rated R, 86 minutes).

A Separation

This searing domestic drama from Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi follows a man (Peyman Maadi) whose wife (Leila Hatami) wants a divorce just as he struggles to care for his ill father, leaving his daughter caught in the middle. Farhadi’s script is even-handed and chronicles a family’s struggles to find a better life that are universal, yet it also addresses issues that feel specific to patriarchal Iranian culture. Like other films to come out of Iran during the past two decades, it has a bold sense of urgency. There’s a raw authenticity to the performances along with a script that’s both suspenseful and heartbreaking. (Rated PG-13, 122 minutes).