Girlboss

Netflix (2017) show "Girlboss" is inspired by the best-selling book #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder of the fashion brand Nasty Gal. It has built a realistic mid-twenties character who still struggling with morality, sense of purpose, keeping up with technology and balancing a bank account. So, there are a lot of funny moments. Soundtrack is rock solid. The script is consistent. For a comedy, the cinematography was impressive. Cast wise, Britt Robertson as 23-year-old Sophie is amazing. While her character has many flaws - given her tendency to often be selfish, brash, inconsiderate and mindless of other people's feelings - Robertson is never insufferable and we are still able to support her even when she acts in a less than positive way. Obviously, Robertson has fun in the role. Despite some flaws, this comedy makes for a brisk binge. At the end, your enjoyment of "Girlboss" will come down to your ability to tolerate its protagonist's demeanor, but Sophie is on a learning curve because no one in her life had ever had faith in her. And that is why I really liked the show.

Rating: 7+/8-

So, the show is awesome but not without its flaws. Aside from hating the main character most of the time, this show is absolutely amazing and Britt Robertson can literally excel as every type of character imaginable. The show ends on a good note but it would've been nice to see how her empire grows. Watch it. Totally recommend.

Adulthood is where dreams go to die, bankruptcy is where companies go to die. It's unfortunate that whilst this series fanatically praises Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amuroso (here, she is called Sophia Marlowe)as a business success, in life Amuroso has stepped down as CEO and the company is bankrupt.

Sass alone does not make success but fictional Sophia seems to get by simply on being a sassy millenial. She starts the series as a twenty-three year old shoplifting drifter, who is stuck in teenager mood (where she basically remains throughout the whole series)and ends up a girlboss (the kind of patronising term you might use on marketing a Barbie doll).

Though the first three or four episodes are unbearably smug, Britt Robertson does a good job as little-girl-lost Sophia, seller of vintage fashion. Ellie Reed is fine enough as Sophia's hanger-on/best buddy Annie.

It's not so much the acting that's the problem as the whole concept being flawed. It's free publicity for the Nasty Gal business and no amount of dramatic license will disguise the fact that this is a six and a half hour commercial.

The reality is sanitised in the show. For starters, there is whitewashing (Sophia Amuroso is of Greek, Italian and Portuguese descent). Secondly, in this version Sophia is still in contact with her dad, with a relationship no more strained than any young daughter. When we know that he can bail her out financially, her decision to shoplift is bratty rebellion rather than financial problems.

The material was pretty thin anyway so unsurprisingly it did not get a second season.

But this show is nailing it!

In episode 1 of 'Girlboss', we are introduced to Sophia. She's not necessarily likable. She definitely beats to her own drum, but that particular drum isn't one that the audience will necessarily appreciate for its rhythm and timbre. She is rude to her boss, demanding to her not-one-night-stand, and obstinate to her father who is reasonably worried about her future. Regardless, the show makes the audience care for Sophia because we get a look at her when she thinks no one is watching. After she angrily 'quits' her job at a shoe store and she is on the phone with a friend, she tells her friend to hold on because an ambulance is raging by, when in fact she uses the break to allow a tear to escape. She knows she's an asshole. She knows she's impossible. The audience will know the struggle, because we were all impossible assholes in some measure at some point in our lives.

The show's brilliance lies not, however, in the troubled young adult that is our lead. We've seen troubled young adults in many a show and movie, they are an old and bored trope. No, the show thrives when it shows us the moments in which Sophia is letting her true self speak. In fact, when Sophia says 'I know I don't know anything. And I know I am supposed to, so I'm going to figure it out, I will.', I personally felt relieved. Finally a young adult who admits to not knowing anything at the beginning of a narrative, as opposed to one acting like they know everything only to find out that they don't know crap the hard way, 2/3 into the story-line. As she stands in front of a vintage shop's mirror, checking out a top and considering whether to take it, the reflection in the mirror shows us she is imagining an over the top, wonderfully fashionable and dramatic look, fur coat and all. It is casually edited into the shot, and no special attention is paid to it, because this is just how Sophia's brain works. I, personally, can't wait where else Sophia's brain is going to take the show when the story allows it to come out more often.

The show is not perfect. Running out of gas at the top of a hill with no one coming to help is not realistic, and stealing a rug with the shopkeeper's comment as 'oh, okay' being the only objection even less so. They try a little too hard to claim the 'own drum' characteristic that shapes our protagonist, and take away from the empathy that is needed for the audience to really want Sophia to succeed.

But I do still want Sophia to succeed. The mirror-image trick is repeated at the end of the first episode, when an idea strikes Sophia and she makes her first move to become a 'girlboss'. (Much as I like the first episode of this show, I hate the 'cutesy' title.). Her mirror image is bathed in golden lighting, but not until the camera turns do we see it is not just her imagination this time. She has seen the light, and darn it if that doesn't spur her to immediately take action in an attempt to get her act together. Now let's just wait and see if the rest of the season answers our want to see Sophia succeed and actually get that act together.

I watched this show all within a day and enjoyed it.

In reading reviews I saw some critics described it as 'fraud feminism' because the main character was selfish. I disagree with this as I see the Grilboss as showing how a female created a business out of nothing, I see a strong, determined female character. I don't understand how a flawed character (who yes, was irrational and childish at many times) taints the feminist message? Feminism is inclusive of all women? Not only the perfect, altruistic characters. Frankly there is no perfect female. Personally I disagree with this 'fraud feminism'.

Sad to see the show is cancelled. Definitely would have continued to watch it, and will recommend it to my friends.