Additional reporting by Christopher Exantus
Think about MTV, right now: at best, a joke can be made of the network’s long-winded free-fall from the very thing that used to be associated with it; and at worst, it's a network determined to exploit as many ill-mannered "losers" as possible, whether it be the hairy hunks of Teen Wolf or lovable dweebs of Awkward. So a sincere documentary of the daily life of a homeless teenager isn’t exactly what you'd expect from MTV, that uber-cool pop center: Inocente is the story of personal struggle and the empowering effects of dreams, showcasing the power of art and how it serves as the titular girl's own stand against the bleakness of her homelessness as she--literally--dons war paint as her own personal declaration.
Directed by Oscar-nominated duo Sean and Andrea Fine, Inocente is presented in a fairly minimalist fashion, primarily using the testaments of young Inocente as the driving force of the film. A fifteen-year old artist, she had spent most of her life living from shelter to shelter after her abusive father was deported, and the threat of the same fate constantly looms over Inocente and her family. After an art show presents itself as an opportunity to change her life, the film documents the visual genius preparing various works for her art gallery, while opening up about her life as someone who is homeless.
Even through her situation, it’s apparent that Inocente is lucky—at least as lucky as one who is technically homeless can be. She has her dreams, her hopes, and constantly uses them as her source of inspiration. "I have a lot of impossible dreams," says Inocente, "but I still dream them." And it’s those dreams that make their way to her art, childishly exaggerated, but reveal something far more compelling. Her most affecting painting, The Lost Planet, paints a somber depiction of a place that, as she explains, houses all of the dreams that die once we enter adulthood, those childhood notions of how the world works. But Inocente’s life serves as juxtaposition to that: she embraces those dreams even though she knows they’re silly. "If I didn’t have silly dreams," she explains, "I’d be totally depressed."
The film is constantly reassuring, using Inocente’s struggles as a platform for her eventual triumph. Even if Inocente’s happy ending is practically telegraphed from the opening moments of the film, it’s still rather effective when it does happen. Unlike a certain variety of shows that MTV is known for, Inocente never feels exploitive, using the girl’s past as a way to generate drama. Instead, the movie feels like the personal diary of a teenager—and we’re just along for the ride.
If there is a complaint, it’s that it can seem all too breezy: Inocente’s complex relationship with her mother doesn’t get as much time as it should, and for a documentary that focuses on the life of an undocumented, homeless Latina, it’s a bit disappointing that it doesn’t go that deep into the current problems of immigration. Even so, Inocente remains an inspired, personal film that advocates the stirring power of art and, like Inocente’s art, maintains a child-like wonder that makes for an obvious crowd-pleaser.
SumOlogy: An unexpected project for MTV, and a wonderfully moving one.
Grade: A-
Inocente premieres TONIGHT at 10pm on MTV.
---
Follow on Ology: Terron R. Moore | TVOlogy
Follow on Twitter: @cityfitch | @TVOlogy
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment!