Toe to Toe

Female friendship and empowerment are the themes of this provocative coming-of-age melodrama about two very different seniors who play on the lacrosse team of a politically correct prep school in Washington, D.C. Strong-willed Tosha (Sonequa Martin) is an intelligent, upwardly mobile African-American living in the grim ghetto neighborhood of Anacostia. Focused on obtaining a full scholarship to Princeton, Tosha excels at lacrosse and math, urged on by her supportive grandmother (Leslie Uggams). Lonely, boozing, irresponsible Jesse (Louisa Krause) lives in an exclusive suburb with a Hispanic maid while her absentee activist mother (Ally Walker) circles the globe. As a result of her low self-esteem, self-destructive Jesse neglects her schoolwork and is brazenly promiscuous. Making an impressive feature film debut at Sundance, Brooklyn-based filmmaker Emily Abt is an astute observer of young-adult behavior, offering a candid and compassionate look at the ethical choices the two young women make as their disparate lives intersect, particularly after they become attracted to the same boy, Rashid (Silvestre Rasuk), who is going through his own cultural identity crisis. Solid and sensitive, Toe to Toe effectively explores social/racial tensions while delivering an insightful character study. Recommended. (S. Granger)