American Honey

Teenager Star (Lane) has been raising her little brother and sister because her white trash mother spends most of her time line dancing in a dive bar. She falls in with Jake (LaBeouf) and his gang of stoner magazine hawkers and, taking a chance, joins them on the road signing up bored homeowners to magazine subscriptions. But door-to-door sales is a tough life and boss Krystal (Keogh) doesn't suffer stragglers for too long…

Perhaps Andrea Arnold is unsure if she'll get the chance to make another American movie and wants to mine the experience for all its worth but there's nothing in this follow up to her rough-and-ready adaptation of Wuthering Heights to justify the gargantuan running time. There's a great ninety minute movie here and pushing it to over two and a half hours causes the narrative to circle; repetition and monotony and aimlessness sets in with boredom not far behind it. One singalong (mostly hip hop but there's Springsteen and Mazzy Star in there too) in the back of the van would be enough to show that this ragbag band of misfits feel a deep connection to each other but by the fourth and fifth one not only is the point well and truly hammered home it threatens to turn one off the very people we're asked to love.

But those problems aside there's something real and honest about this story. The narrative space Arnold affords herself allows the story to develop at a natural pace and gives certain sequences an edgy atmosphere. One sequence sees Star hop into a car with three rich cowboys (Will Patton among them) who invite her to a private party and ply her with strong alcohol; the length of time it takes this sequence to climax despite the banality of what actually happens gives it an air of impending doom. Ditto another sequence where Star goes on a date with a lonely oil rigger. The lengthy running time also allows Arnold throw up a few surprises with regards to the romance with LaBeouf and his relationship with tough cookie Krystal.

In newcomer Sasha Lane Arnold has unearthed an actor of real potential. Despite the marquee name of Shia LaBeouf this is Lane's film: in every scene she carries the film with her off kilter, natural performance. Despite her youth her eyes have the look that they've seen too much ugliness already - sometimes she looks older and sometimes she can look like the teenage girl she is.

If one can tap into the loose narrative and let things unfold in their own good time American Honey's depiction of the American Dream gone awry should interest. It's also got the best Dead Kennedy's reference to ever grace a film (yes, this is important).