vchimpanzee First of all, I should mention I'm 49 years old and white and don't care for rap music.But this appeared to be a quality production, with important lessons, positive messages, good writing and good acting. Just don't get too attached to anyone because in this neighborhood, you can't be sure anyone will survive to the end.Cynthia's father was a dedicated teacher at an aging New York City high school in a bad section of the city. When she was young, he gave her Anne Frank's famous diary to read.Now Cynthia is a student at that high school. Her father is deceased and her family is on welfare. They include Cynthia, her mother, her grandmother, her brother Juan, her sister Janet, and Janet's baby. Cynthia's mother is Latina and doesn't look black. I'm not clear on her father's racial background but he had a Spanish-sounding name. Anyway, Cynthia looks black and thinks of herself as black.Several teachers at the school, particularly Michael, believe that at least some of these kids can be reached, despite what the neighborhood is like. Cynthia is one of them, though she has had difficulty since her father's death. But reading about Anne Frank has inspired her and she now writes rap lyrics inspired by Anne. As "Anne B. Real", she raps in front of a mirror. In the same mirror she imagines people she knows criticizing her.Meanwhile, Juan supposedly has had a job, but the only way he seems to make money is by selling lyrics to up-and-coming rapper Deuce. Deuce wants to impress those who can make him a star, so he claims the lyrics are his own. Of course, so does Juan--who, by the way, uses too much of his money to buy drugs, and gets into situations that could put him behind bars.Cynthia's friends include Kitty, who looks very white but is more street in her speech than most of the movie's characters. She could be considered comic relief. There is also Jerome, who has been on his own since age 12, and he has to get by delivering drugs. Darius is a very European-looking Latino who seems to want a romantic relationship with Cynthia.Deuce has a girlfriend who is quite pretty and thinks she is "all that". I didn't catch her name but she adds a lot.The stories of Deuce and Cynthia are interesting, and both characters have a lot of determination, but Cynthia is the strongest character here. She needs to be strong, too, because she will be put through a lot (so will the audience), and JNyce is quite effective. But despite this movie taking me out of my comfort zone, I think it was a worthwhile experience.

urtodtr I was impressed by the maturity of this film. The interlacing of The Diary of Anne Frank with the life of a modern young woman infused this piece with an element of timelessness. I have a hard time listening to rap not because of the lyrics, but because of the bass… this story has encouraged me to seek out written versions of rap, and take the opportunity to enjoy the poetry of this unique and compelling genre.I was most pleased with the realism of the story line and ending. There was no false-fairytale-Hollywood ending, but rather an engaging and surprisingly inspiring conclusion to a tale that could take place anywhere around the world today. I hope that this film offers some hope to other young people in similar situations. We truly are responsible for our own upbringing.

SONNYK_USA Stuntwoman and first-time director Lisa France has somehow created an F-word-'free' rap move that works! If you want profanity, just re-rent "8 Mile," but if you'd like to see a highly original rap movie then this is the one to check out. How often do you get to see movies about impoverished teens using historical literature to translate their feelings to others, as well as to fuel their customary outlets of creativity - in this case rap.You can guess how it all ends up but this is still an effective drama and with its mild language a definite must-see for family viewing as well as young aspiring rappers. Literature and rap - who'd a thunk it?

joy13blu I really enjoyed this film. Though the title is misleading, i can recognize what the title was trying to accomplish. The influence of Anne Frank's Diary has never been so eloquently shown. By applying the diary to the life of an inner-city young adult is to put the past into the future. Carlos Leon and Ja Nice Richardson did wonderful jobs and i am upset that she has been in few other films. She puts the watcher in the mind of Michelle Rodriguez from Girl Fight and Fast and the Furious. Ja Nice's character is somewhat weak through out the whole film in my opinion and could have gained her strength much earlier in the film. Aside from that the film has a strong storyline and good basic message. What i enjoyed the most in this film was all of the music. being a HUGE fan of underground hip-hop i EASILY recognized many of the songs. I also appreciated the fact that music from the West Coast in a New York based film. Kudos to the music director.