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.

With all the talk generated during the most recent presidential election about how out of touch one half of America is with the other, it takes a British filmmaker to give us a movie that brings the socioeconomic discrepancies between one part of America and another to light in a way that no other recent movie has.

The young drifters in this movie are amazed at Kansas City, never having seen so many tall buildings together in one place before. A conversation with an older, professional trucker reveals that a dream both characters share is seeing the ocean. One girl thinks people who make $100,000 a year are rich.

Wow, talk about a world away from where I live (Chicago) and where a salary of $100,000 makes owning a home barely affordable. For awhile, "American Honey" is a compelling glimpse into the life of those who have long since been left behind by the American dream. But the film goes on far too long and is far too monotonous to remain compelling for its entire duration. We only really get to know one person in the movie, a young woman named Star who is running from the hopelessness of her situation to.....what, exactly? She doesn't know, and that's the point of the movie. But that point is made long before the movie itself ends, and without much character development (Star's character arc is awfully short for a nearly three-hour movie), I found my attention and interest wandering in the film's final half hour or so.

Grade: B

People tend to hate something that is different, that is a fact. This movie is different, so do not expect to compare with any other movie. In my opinion if you watch this just for pleasure, you will enjoy the ride. The acting is so real, cinematography is great and also both lead actors. The plot is... there is not a real plot so just try to understand the message, try to be openminded and consequently try to love something different. This is not Twilight.

If you are a fan of Larry Clarks Kids then this is the film for you. It portrays a harsh reality that most people would rather not see. It's got that train wreck quality that won't let you turn away and at the same time has you horrified.

Sasha Lane as the protagonist Star gave a great performance. Her anger and sadness come to the surface even when she's silent. I've always liked Shia LaBeouf but I've usually felt like the films he's done don't interest me so I don't get to see his performances that much.

I realize that the film is long, but I think it's part of what makes this film special. It takes time to develop and meanders a bit in the process but again it's part of what makes the film seem so genuine. Though the premise of the story is a bit ridiculous in itself it's really just a vehicle to let us in on the behavior of these young people. What makes them tick. What kind of music they like. How they relate to each other.

Clearly this film isn't for everyone. You should have an idea what it is about before you partake in the investment of watching it. But if you are like me and enjoy the sociological aspect of feeling like you are eavesdropping on the life of these young people then it's a great film.

I'm not familiar with this director but now I'd like to see her other films. Hopefully her hand is on the pulse of a lot of different subsets of culture.

A young girl, named Star, with no economic abilities, bears the heavy responsibility of raising her two younger siblings.

Hungry after living the life of a teenager she gets attracted to a group of young people at a supermarket with high spirit and a bad attitude. She leaves her siblings behind and joins the group who lives from day to day selling magazines to whomever they meet. The common denominator is the selling of magazines. How to do it? How to manipulate the potential buyer with different kind of stories up the sleeve that is supposed to impose sympathy? As Oliver Twist is lured into Fagins lair and is taught to pick pockets without knowing what he is doing so is Star initially. At the point where she understands the rules and laws of the group, she is involved in such a way that she accepts the game and takes some very big risks and further compromises her own moral values.

The force of the movie is the depiction of the life on the road, the interaction between our marginalized young people and slowly getting to know our protagonist, who in the beginning is the silent observer and little by little starts to unfold her personality.

I can see that the movie is being criticized for being very long and not having a story that develops from a start- to an endpoint. I agree that some of the scenes are prolonged to a point that seems unnecessary. Besides this I think that this movie is a perfect example of how the truth often lies in the detail. This means that we need to dwell in some of the scenes and that the artistic challenge is to let this happen in a way that gets the audience involved.

Again I must express my deepest respect for director Andrea Arnold who has the rare ability to show a milieu in such a convincing way that it at certain points seems as if you are not watching a movie but instead a documentary but without losing the storytelling.

Regards Simon

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