Miller's Girl, with a story that pushes the boundaries and whose ethics can be questioned by anyone who watches it, has managed to become one of the most striking productions I have seen recently.
To be even more ambitious, if I don't say that I've seen a better movie in the next month, I can say that it will be the best movie I've seen released in 2024.
Impressive acting performances, great dialogues, the complexity of human nature and moral dilemmas are the things you will see the most...
I know I'm being very complimentary, and I know it won't be for everyone, but I'm sure those who like similar genres will agree with me.
So let's begin, here is Miller's Girl
The film's story revolves around the dynamics that develop between Cairo (played by Jenna Ortega), a high school student living in a small town, and Mr. Miller, a new literature teacher who has just moved to the town and is increasingly pushing the boundaries.
As the seemingly innocent relationship that begins between them gradually reaches dangerous dimensions, the boundaries between teacher and student are pushed to the limit.
The ties the characters establish with each other's pasts through personal weaknesses and their attempts to take the upper hand are definitely worth watching.
Both characters are passionate about writing poetry and books, and their passion is reflected in their daily dialogues. The paths they take are subtle and the methods they use are supported by words that require the use of complete intelligence.
You feel this atmosphere at the very beginning of the movie. Especially when the moral questioning starts, you feel the presence of a gray area, but as a viewer you find yourself in that area.
Obviously, there is a lot of beauty that overrides the moral questions. Even though I had a hard time keeping myself out of the story's questioning, I will remember the movie for its ambiguous ending and the literary language used with its bold themes.
Jenna Ortega gives a mesmerizing performance as Cairo. It was a pleasure to watch her character development, with her unexpected outbursts at unexpected times and her ever-increasing momentum. She manages to be the main character in the subtle jokes and witty dialogues.
The character of Mr. Miller starts the story as a teacher and portrays his pathetic appearance in his moments of emptiness to perfection. Even after the story is finished, you can't tell whether the situation he is in is a trap or an escape from his true feelings. Frankly, I doubt that even he himself understands (smiling).
The way the past traumas of both characters are connected to the current story was one of the details that strengthened the character aspect of the movie. Cairo's disconnection from his family and Mr. Miller's traumas from the past and present are slowly presented in small doses in the flow of the main story, which deepens the story even more.
While the dialogues of the main characters with the supporting characters take on the comedic side of the film, the jokes, especially those produced by Cairo, were in perfect harmony with the poetic side of the story. You can easily understand that if the dose of subtle humor is too much, it will damage the magical atmosphere created.
There are even a few scenes in the movie that support this. Fortunately, they were not overdone and ended without damaging the magical atmosphere (one of them was sending a topless picture to the gym teacher).
Cairo is a dark character, making his next step uncertain. This is reflected in the fact that you can't predict the next scene in the movie. I think it was a perfect mystery for the audience. I'm not saying this in terms of the story, I'm saying this because of the character Cairo's posture, his demeanor and his unpredictable actions.
In the movie, which has an unpredictable ending, I liked the two characters' efforts to probe and outdo each other through the dialogues they develop. I would have liked the dangerous relationship between them to be taken more slowly and the moments I mentioned to be longer.
The time between the beginning of the relationship, the experience and the reckoning was quite short. Maybe it was because I didn't want the movie to end. If you watch the movie, I would like you to test this and give me your personal opinion.
Even though I said that the movie presents a brave story, there will be some people who will find the movie worthless because of the way the moral value is questioned. Because approaching it only from a moral point of view creates division. I think the story should be taken as a whole or the moral aspects should not be addressed at all.
I can say that the movie is not for everyone, those who are thinking of watching it; it would be useful to take into account a few details I have given above. For those who are interested in pushing the limits of human nature, I recommend watching Miller's Girl, which has a striking and ingenious story with a bold storyline.
Thank you for being here and for reading. Take care and goodbye!
I enjoyed the story line of the movie. The characters definitely carried out their roles perfectly