American Honey

But it's well done and I like that it's dialogue was mostly unscripted and most of the actors are real people taken from the streets. It felt like a real dysfunctional road trip with some interesting characters. Pretty raw at times.

Much of Andrea Arnold's American HONEY reminds me of Larry Clark's 1995 film, "Kids," struggling adolescent years, but American HONEY is much more nuanced in that on one hand you have this somewhat social commentary about how we are the richest nation in the world and yet so many of our teens live in poverty and they have to hustle and do certain demeaning things just to get by, just to survive, just to feed themselves. On the other hand, you could see American HONEY from the perspective of the characters and the impressive way in which they organize, you can see their selling and marketing skills, despite it being a scam and rough around the edges. They're doing what wall street does basically but on a smaller, smaller, way smaller scale.

Sasha Lane plays free spirited teenage named star who leaves her troubled trashy home to go on a road trip with traveling laborers her age, they go from town to town, door to door, to sell magazines. Riley Keough plays Krystal, the leader of the crew, and Shia LaBeouf plays Jake, who recruits new members. There's freedom and hard partying that come with this life, Star doesn't essentially agree with some of the group's methods, although young love and jealousy ultimately motivate Star to bend her own morality rule just to prove herself.

Firstly, just a heads up, this movie is 163 minutes long, probably not quite as long as those "Hobbit" movies but definitely one that you'd have to be willing to set aside a big chunk of your evening for, should you want to check out this film. I have to give credit to writer/director Andrea Arnold, not only for this raw depiction of American youth living on the margins, but also the casting decisions, the actors in this film are so convincing, in terms of their looks, their attitude and the way they carry themselves, you start to wonder if they really do live on the margins. Many of the moments in the film are spent on the characters bonding, so it seems that, and I'm assuming, cinematographer Robbie Ryan had to sit inside that van and operate the camera around as one character has their dialogue with another, and it's already crowded as it is, it'd be interesting to see behind-the-scenes video on how they pulled that off.

Arnold is not focusing on income disparity in the inner cities, nope, American HONEY showcases income disparity out in the plain fields of the American midwest. But this isn't some kind of poverty extravaganza either like "Winter's Bone," or "Slumdog Millionaire," the characters in American HONEY get by, they do OK one day at a time, but they undergo unforgiving journeys through suburban sprawl through small towns clearly affected by economic downturn, and you see the resilience in their hearts. You may disagree with their methods, some might even see it as dangerous but what can a fractured, abandoned life can do but to fill the cracks however way they can. They're still teenagers going through crushes and heartbreaks, your usual teenage ordeals, but they're also in a situation where they're forced to be independent adults faster, and Andrea Arnold beautifully captures all of that in American HONEY.

-- Rama's Screen --

Featuring a cast riddled with amateur actors (aside from Shia LaBeouf and Riley Keough (granddaughter of Elvis Presley) "American Honey" is more than just another Cannes Film Festival calling card for writer/director Andrea Arnold, it is a gritty, startling master-class example of "slice of life" direction, the likes of 2016's "Manchester by the Sea" or "King Jack".

Synopsis: A teenage girl, living in extreme poverty, is recruited into a traveling sales crew filled with other teens in her same situation. The group travels cross-country, scamming people into buying magazine subscriptions by day and partying incredibly hard by night.

Arnold's hand-held camera work only helped immerse me into this lesser known subculture, watching these economically disadvantaged teens make sketchy life choices as they come of age inside a van sized commune of their peers. But it's the stellar performance from newcomer Sasha Lane which gives major credibility to this film and justifies some of its more minor flaws as well as the run-time. Much of the satisfaction I received from "American Honey" came from watching Lane's character evolve throughout.

Final Thought: There are a few misplaced lines of dialogue, which seem to force-feed a bit more than I would have liked, and at a nearly three hour run-time, this Indie will be perceived as an intimidating venture for some, but boy is it worth your time. The genuine atmosphere of "American Honey" speaks to this generation like not many movies do, and will stay with you for days after viewing.

Andrea Arnold's "American Honey" is a bold and ambitious film filled with good performances, and for the most part I like this film, but boy does it have a ton of pitfalls. "American Honey" is repetitive, bombastic, overlong, and filled with unlikable characters, and most of the repetitiveness comes from these characters constantly listening to and singing to rap music in their white van. Sitting through 2 hours and 43 minutes of this film felt more like a chore than a cinematic experience. I'm looking forward to what Andrea Arnold has in store for us next, I truly am, and hopefully her next film won't be as preposterously long as this.

Been anticipating this film ever since I've heard of it. This is a well made coming of age film about hopeless youth who are on the go. The film really reminded me of Kids but with stronger focus on its core character and her experience. It also reminded me a bit of Spring Breakers so maybe its a Harmony Korine thing. Sasha Lane stars as Star, a young drifter on the run who stumbles across a gang of people who travel in a van and are in "sales" and getting money where they can to get by. You're immediately curious about Star's previous life and experiences but you start in the moment and go on the road with her. Sasha Lane is just starting and I'm curious as to what her story is because this role was second nature to her. She's great. Love him or hate him, Shia LaBeouf can be a force on the screen. He is most certainly one in this film. There is a charismatic nature to his character and his relationship with Star (through the rage and love) is very entertaining to watch. I wish there was more of Riley Keough in this. I'm a huge fan of her after seeing her in the very excellent The Girlfriend Experience and she was the main attraction for me to this film. I may be biased but she steals the scenes she's in. The confederate bikini and oil rub scene in the motel room is fantastic.

The film has some other really beautiful scenes. Star and Jake sitting on top of the car as the wind blows and the bright lights pass by; its so wonderful. The stage is set in southern America and you get a real sense of that world on every pit-stop. Not all the character's in the gang are fleshed out in this near three hour film but its hardly a detriment as not many of them are necessarily memorable. The film is heavy on soundtrack which makes sense as you take a car trip through the eyes of Star as she goes from place to place. The scenes during the day always look like its almost sunset. I think it adds to the grittiness and roughness of the American South. The camera is mostly personal and very zoomed on Star so you get to see the world through her first hand experience. I saw a message of how tough it is to set your life straight in a hard world and having to do whatever it takes to get by on a day to day basis. I think at its heart Andrea Arnold's film can be interpreted in a few ways but I saw it as the story of a down out of luck girl who will do whatever it takes to survive. Star potentially puts herself in dangerous situations in the film but she's just fearless throughout. Which takes me back to the curiosity of her past. To me, she's unfazed with what she's exposed to and can adapt very well. Once she realizes she can make it there's a moment of beauty as she takes whatever comes her way. She's always setting animals (and other people) free in this film because she seeks to set herself free.

The first thing I'd recommend is not to be daunted by the running length of the film. Also be prepared for more of a visual, sonic, and spiritual experience over a film that's plot heavy and focused. I enjoyed it just as much as I thought I would.

8/10