Even Jenna Ortega Can’t Save Miller’s Girl
Jenna Ortega stars as Cairo Sweet, a gifted young writer takes creative freedom into her own hands when her teacher (Martin Freeman) assigns a projects that brings the two closer in Miller’s Girl. Lines blurs and their lives inappropriately intertwine as the protege takes things too far in a plot for revenge.
Jenna Ortega is a once in a generation actress, which has been proven most recently by her role in Wednesday. However, she has come into a certain level of fame that in some ways limits her. She has fallen victim to typecasting, typically taking on darker and more serious roles, including this one. Not only has she fallen into the same types of roles, but people know who she is and how she speaks. This came as a disadvantage in Miller’s Girl as she makes her best attempt at a southern accent that doesn’t really work in the end.
Mr. Miller as a character is not, at first glance, an impressive man. With his skills, he wrote himself a singular book, and has since spent his time teaching. It is hard to imagine what Cairo finds so intriuging about him. When things turn south and it looks like he is going to get in trouble, you don’t feel bad for him. He tries to defend himself without taking a single ounce of accountability for his own actions. There is also an elitist and pretentious use of literature throughout the film that takes away from some of the more emotional moments. Pack your dictionary for this movie because you will have moments of utter confusion trying to dissect what is being said due to the insane vocabulary used.
The most redeeming part of the movie is the relationship between Mr. Miller and his coworker Boris Filmore (Bashir Salahuddin), the physics teacher and coach. The two have a charming and playful banter that keeps things light amongst the darker undertones. However, Boris seems to fall victim to the same youthful manipulation as his counterpart, but it’s not explored to its fullest extent.
As a psychosexual thriller, this film tended to allude to more shocking elements rather than show them. It felt as though they played it a little safe in terms of the relationship and events that unfolded. Most of the uncomfortable moments happened during heated arguments and dialogue, opposed to actual physical scenes. The ending doesn’t resolve in a tangible way and left you feeling incomplete. I came out of this film with mixed feelings. The acting performances were incredible, but the storyline didn’t add up at times. We never fully understand why Cairo goes after this clearly mediocre man. If you like Jenna Ortega, give it a try, otherwise the film is fairly forgettable.
Miller’s Girl debuts in theaters on January 26.
