Review of White Girl (2016) by Spangle — 06 Dec 2016

A dream-like whirlwind into a world of drugs, sex, and hip-hop, White Girl is an explosive look at the ramifications of choices and the afflictions faced by youth in America today. Though highly fictionalized, White Girl depicts an absolutely wild last few weeks of summer with doing drugs, dealing drugs, lots and lots of sex, and of course, murder. It is honestly hard to say what White Girl is truly about, other than the choices made by Leah (Morgan Saylor) coming back to her. Though it is her choice as to who to sleep with, choosing to hang around unsavory characters in all walks of life brings unsavory results to her, leaving her to put together the pieces and struggle to cope with her actions.

Starring Morgan Saylor and her nipples as Leah, the film shows her move to inner city Queens with her friend Katie (India Menuez). Two white college girls going to a decidedly liberal school and majoring in liberal arts (how white can one person get?), the duo party hard and often. After moving in, they quickly run out of weed and Leah opts to ask the local drug dealers, led by Blue (Brian Marc) if they can hook her up. What follows is a torrid romance between Blue and Leah, in which Blue plays the role of sympathetic drug dealer. A large well done character, Blue is brought to life by Marc who plays the character in duel fashion. Tough and hard on the outside, Blue melts like butter when around Leah. This is largely highlighted towards the end when he lays on her chest and cries. On the streets, he has a persona - one he opted to showcase to Leah initially - but when he is with her, he is transformed. Though this is a hardly original character, it is hard to deny the phenomenal execution of the character. Not only is he well written by Elizabeth Wood, but brilliantly acted by Marc. Though Saylor is terrific, Marc honestly stole the show.

That said, this is Saylor's show and she owns the screen. Magnetic, manic, and energetic, her portrayal of the ill-fated Leah is both tragic and often painful to watch. Though caring and deeply in love with Blue, she still sleeps around and needs to scrounge up cash to pay off a drug dealer and a lawyer. This proves tough and the film is very classic in this plotting. While White Girl is a very good film, its plot is hardly original and this certainly stands as its greatest weakness. Fortunately, there are characters such as Leah. A strong modern day woman, Leah has no shame from her action and owns them. However, her character's strength and power is no revealed until the end. After a truly traumatic experience, Leah is more reserved and withdrawn than usual. This sequence is tremendously brought to life by Saylor as you can see her struggle to keep the pain internalized and not just collapse on the floor in a pool of tears. It is honestly hard to watch with this element bolstered by Saylor's authenticity in the role.

All of this said, however, White Girl's plot is incredibly weak. Basically a "get rich because I need money now" type of movie, it is incredibly unrealistic with its portrayal of youth. Sure, there is drug use and lots of sex. However, how many young people today can raise their hands and say they found themselves in the situations that Leah did? I venture to say that not many can. However, as a character study, White Girl is undeniably brilliant. To enjoy White Girl, however, you must reserve judgment on its characters. Rather than pigeonhole a character like Leah and ask, "What makes her do these things?" The film most certainly punishes her for these actions, but they are not the point of the film. She is certainly a tragic figure and not be emulated. I am hardly justifying her actions in the film, but Leah is not a nonredeemable character. Instead, she is merely a child who has lost her way and gotten caught up in living life with new found independence. Though its situations are not authentic, this element most certainly does hit home. As a senior in college, I have seen my fair share of fellow students fail to cope with adjusting to college life and the freedom that comes as part of the deal. Leah fits this bill and, as such, White Girl is a representation, and is an exaggeration, of these types of young-adults.

Though I expected to hate White Girl and usually hate films so focused on sex, there is something inherently beautiful about this work from debut director Elizabeth Wood. Haunting, tragic, and an excellent portrayal of lost souls who have strayed from the path, White Girl rides on the shoulders of its characters, particularly Leah and Blue. With terrific performances from Morgan Saylor and Brian Marc, White Girl is a modern day tragedy, but one's enjoyment of the film solely depends on whether or not you are able to see these characters as redeemable figures.