White Boy Rick ** (2018, Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh) – Movie Review

It is easy to see what drew director Yann Demange to the story of the rise and fall of the teenage drug hustler Rick Wershe Jr for his real-life Eighties crime drama movie White Boy Rick. It is a fascinating story, but, because it is real life, it rambles along from increasingly bizarre incident to incident, and does not make an entirely satisfactory screen story.

The incidents are well staged, and the Eighties Detroit, Michigan, low-life atmosphere is well done. But it is hard to care about these characters or get involved in their story, which is a real downer, sending you home depressed. It is hard to see many upsides of this downer saga.

There is some fine acting. Matthew McConaughey is sole top billed above the title, as the mid-Eighties arms dealer father Richard Wershe Sr, and he is excellent, submerging himself wholehearted in his character. But the main star is Richie Merritt, who makes his on-screen debut in the film, and he greatly impresses as the boy who is forced into becoming an undercover informant for the FBI and then strung out to dry. 

Bel Powley doesn’t really have much to do as Rick’s drugged out sister, and Bruce Dern and Piper Laurie are wasted as the grandparents, but Jennifer Jason Leigh makes much of an unsympathetic role as the FBI agent harassing and ultimately betraying Rick, and Rory Cochrane scores too as the other FBI agent.

It is the kind of film that won’t help careers, and probably will disappear off the face of the planet soon, and perhaps you would never want to see again. Unfortunately, some of it is quite boring in dull patches between the strong scenes. But, still, White Boy Rick is in the interesting, capably made and acted, category. And it is an increasingly rare item, a movie for grown-ups, and for that thank you Yann Demange.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

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