Phillip Ellis
Star – Shia Lebouf
Genre – Indie
Run Time – 2 hr 43 minutes
Certificate – 18
Country – USA/U.K
BAFTA – 1 nomination
Awards – 13 Wins & 36 Nominations
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Someone once told me young people can easily be exploited if they enjoy it and they feel free doing it, the subject of American Honey, a beautiful and atmospheric low budget indie from Andrea Arnold, definitely one of the films of 2017.
It’s centered on the controversial world of magazine selling in America where kids travel around the country in minibuses staying in motels trying to sell magazine subscriptions to bored housewives for 14 hours a day. They are often dumped on the road in the middle of nowhere soon after being recruited if they don’t sell many and so hit those targets.
For its $3.5m it did a lousy $1.5 million back but that’s not because people didn’t like it but because no one saw it. The campaign starts here to see it. It’s a cracker. Its stars show off Shia Lebouf and orbited by a cast of unknown actors, Andrea Arnold approaching teenagers on the street whom she thought would be good for the movie, and hold impromptu auditions in parking lots and the like, tying to capture the freedom of being young and fearless. Much of the dialogue was improvised in the film. When shining female lead Sasha Lane was approached on the beach in Panama City, Florida, her friend thought they were being scouted for porn, and they walked away. Shia LaBeouf acquired 12 tattoos during filming in full method in this world record long indie.
===Cast===
- Sasha Lane… Star
- Shia LaBeouf… Jake
- Riley Keough… Krystal
- McCaul Lombardi… Corey
- Arielle Holmes… Pagan
- Crystal Ice… Katness (as Crystal B. Ice)
- Veronica Ezell… QT
- Chad Cox… Billy
- Garry Howell… Austin
- Kenneth Kory Tucker… Sean
- Raymond Coalson… JJ
- Isaiah Stone… Kalium
- Dakota Powers… Runt
- Shawna Rae Moseley… Shaunte
- Christopher David Wright… Riley
===Plot===
Krystal: Got anybody who’s gonna miss you?
Star: Not really.
Krystal: OK good. You’re hired.
‘Star’ (Sasha Lane), a pretty mixed race dreadlocked teenager living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, takes care of two younger children, whilst being casually sexually assaulted by their father (Johnny Pierce II). While trying to hitchhike home from the supermarket she spies a car full of teenagers and makes eye contact with handsome Jake (Shia LaBeouf), one of the older boys, the guys causing chaos in the Wal-Mart seemingly wild and free.
After a bit of innocent chat and flirting between Star and Jake he asks her to come along with them to Kansas, the team staying at a Motel 6 and she can join them there later, if she wants to come. After packing her belongings, she takes the children to the redneck club where the kids mother (Chasity Hunsaker) dances, telling her it is her turn to care for them. Though the mother refuses, Star runs away from the club and sleeps outside the van of the strangers till morning. Jake is stoked that she came, some chemistry between them.
<a href="http://www.americanhoney.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source</a>
Star is interviewed by Krystal (Riley Keogh), who runs the magazine crew, hiring her on the spot after she establishes that Star is 18, no family will miss her, and that Star promises to graft. Star quickly bonds with the other guys and girls on the crew, including Pagan (Arielle Holmes) who is obsessed with Star Wars, in particular Darth Vader, and death.
On arrival at the various locations the crew breaks into groups of two to sell magazines door to door. Since Star is new, she is paired up with Jake, the veteran of the group. Star finds it difficult at first as Jake lies to potential customers in order to make sales. Still immature at heart, she also distracts Jake by flirting and eventually kissing him. This affects the pair and Krystal calls Star in, and tells her that Jake has posted his lowest sales ever. Star promises to shape up as Krystal flirts with Jake.
The following day, annoyed by Jake, Star vows to outsell him. She is picked up by three older strangers in cowboy hats who offer to help her, thinking she is being harassed by Jake. They bring her to their lavish home to party and offer to buy several magazines if she drinks the worm at the bottom of a bottle of mescal, a strong Mexican drink. Star does, and makes the sale. She is learning fast. Jake gets jealous and the sh*t hits the pan with the cowboys. There is clearly affection between the two but who is playing who?
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GnfqBv8xFw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source</a>
===Results===
As a rule of thumb if you don’t notice how long a long film is it’s probably rather good, the case here. This is a movie that stays with you. It reminds you that your youth has gone and that freedom to not care with it. Anyone who has been backpacking around the world knows that feeling. It’s a wonderful emotion, new experiences around every corner. That was certainly my feelings on traveling for 8 years on and off. This film is really emotive that way.
You could say the director was exploiting the actors like the magazine companies do the kids in this industry by hiring unknown talent on the spot but I think that’s the point of the film to find that freedom in the performance. It was shot almost exclusively handheld and filmed mostly with natural or available light in the Dogme95 style and the better for it. The untrained cast and roar non – descript locations really brings an extra dimension to this, shot exquisitely by cinematographer Robbie Ryan. Sasha Lane is fantastic in the lead and you will be seeing more of her.
It’s just an enjoyable experience and very different to other Hollywood indies. It is very long for an indie but you somehow don’t notice and just involved in this almost trippy vibe. You are with those kids in spirit on the bus freeing responsibly and family for the freedom of the endless road, friendships, booze and sex. You don’t care if they are getting exploited. They know they are but the payoff is worth it. Sadly the Oscar didn’t nominate it but definitely one you guys should seek out. Oh and if you are young and restless and want to travel then go for it. It will be comfortably the best experience of your life guys.
===RATINGS===
Imdb.com – 7.0/10.0 (26,234votes)
Rottentomatos.com – 78% critic’s approval
Metacritic.com – 79% critic’s approval
The Washington Times -‘American Honey is undeniably gorgeous. It’s drenched in color; it drips with it like, yes, honey. In the center of it all is Sasha Lane as Star, just as bright (if not brighter), and impossible not to watc’h.
Newsweek –‘Lane is a find — bruised, soft, dreamy, hopeful — and the film is at its strongest exploring the erotic chemistry between her and LaBeouf’.
Sight & Sound –‘Within a glittering collage of soaring music, soft light and writhing bodies, this brilliant film draws the outline of a bleak economic landscape’.
Globe & Mail –‘It’s bold, captivating cinema, with a soundtrack that threatens to never leave your head’.
Nice article with a lots of info!
Sounds like a great film. I’ll look for it.