The Fits

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.

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.

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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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.

This brief feature film debut from Anna Rose Holmer is among the most interesting and enjoyable independent films of 2016. At first, the film was a bit slow and didn't seem to be going anymore, but once the plot kicked in I was very pleased. After watching the entire film, I am grateful for the slow build up because of its moodiness and great introduction to the characters and setting. The only reason the slow moving atmosphere is a flaw in my eyes is because I thought that the whole film was going to be that plot less, and that, in the end, it would have had no climax, conflict, etc. But it does have a climax, and it does have a conflict. At its core, the film is a powerful little tale about fitting in. Its charming, beautifully filmed, and at times ingeniously unsettling.

The only real flaw was how wooden some of the child actors were. At times, certain performances kind of ruined the film's realistic vibe.However, the characters were likable and their struggles were well executed and written enough for these performances not to completely ruin the experience. But, other than that this was a really impressive little film debut that really has me believing that this first time filmmaker will be going places!