American Milkshake

A decent High School joint mixed with what seemed like a character from "White Boyz." Jolie Jolson (Ross) is unintentionally funny and dare I say "interesting" to follow, though Henrietta (Epps) is the star of the film. Reminiscent of Juno, minus the Yuppie sense of humor and actors who are equally charismatic as their "Juno" counterparts (Ellen Page/Michael Cera). The lead character-Jolie Jolson-is completely clueless to his surroundings and social "norms". With 1995 as the backdrop, his lack of direction becomes a secondary focus when the mid- 90's paradigm is taken into consideration. Henrietta, the awful result of parental enabling, is somehow still regarded compassionately, even after it becomes obvious that her personal issues are the result of her own actions. Jolie's attraction to Henrietta and her "I don't give a sh*t" attitude ends predictably, but it's still attention worthy. The BEST attraction to this film is that the basic concept is: "here's a White boy who wants to Black, but in 1995, at the onset of the "Ghetto Fabulous" movement. Late Gen-Y's/Early Millennials will remember the mid-90's; the era that glorified all things Hip-Hop, and white boys wanted to be "cool;" and "cool" was BLACK. Definitely a "B" quality film, and the dialogue wasn't written by a seasoned pro, but because parts of the film seem to be based on actual occurrences, the film plays out in three acts, like you'd expect, and the leads end properly, with "honest" outcomes.