I Watched Miller's Girl And Added To My Book Shelf
I’ve been seeing many clips of Miller’s Girl on Ticktock, and honestly, it’s intriguing, not because Jenna Ortega was the female lead, and I’d watch anything she’s in.
So recently, I decided to indulge myself and watch the full movie.
Now, not only have I watched Miller’s Girl, but I have also added two books of Henry Miller’s to my shelf that I can’t wait to read.
Plot of Miller's Girl
The movie revolves around Cairo Sweet (Jenna Ortega). A young girl of 18 who’s been left by her parents to live alone in Tennessee.
In her loneliness, she found companionship in literature and thus became an exceptional writer.
Familiar with her passion for literature, her one and only friend, Winnie (Gideon Adlon), recommends an English class taught by Mr. Miller (Martin Freeman), a man of older age and a fallen writer who resigned from teaching high school students after his published book was critiqued “harshly”.
“He is overreaching without ambition”, quite poetic, if I must say.
Having been lonely for so long to now find someone who shares a similar interest - literature - with her, Cairo finds herself attracted to Mr. Miller, regardless of his position as her teacher and hers as his student.
Though naive to the art of real-life seduction, Cairo was well-read and familiar with the works of Henry Miller - the Arthur- so she tapped into his erotic genius, using the midterm report — a short story, imitating the writing style of any preferred Arthur- as camouflage to paint her fantasies of she and Mr. Miller.
But she got agitated when both her literary prowess and seduction were rebuked by Mr. Miller, who’s by the way married to a writer, Beatrice (Dagmara Dominczyk), as “it’s inappropriate”.
In her upset, Cairo made strides to sabotage Mr. Miller’s career and, by extension, his marriage by submitting the short story to the vice-principal, suggesting indirectly that Mr. Murphy, the lead male character in her story, was, in fact, Mr. Miller, and she -Cairo- the protagonist.
Hence, presenting a case of sexual misconduct.
The movie, however, ends inconclusively with a view of Cairo heading to school, ready to testify against Mr. Miller, but stops in her tracks when she sees him, and then she sobs…curtains closed
What I Think Of Miller's Girl
I have questions!
Yeah, that’s my opening statement (buttressing my point on the intrigues of the movie).
I felt there was a blur at some point between what was real and what was Cairo’s fantasy.
Like the scene where Mr. Miller was soaked, drenched in the rain, and standing on Cairo’s porch.
The writer(s) or the producers or directors, whoever was in charge of this scene basically, did a number with it.
Cos, I’m here like, “Did he kiss her? Did they make out?....what happened?”
In Mr. Miller's confession to the Vice Principal, he had said “I didn't touch her”.
But when he was under that rain, the manner, the tone in which the man said “No, you come here”…I swear I felt chills for a minute.
Now, you don’t talk like that, then do nothing.
So question number 1; did he really ask her to come to him or did she imagine it?
And this leads to my subsequent questions, like the part where he pulled her hair and ordered her to read from a Henry Miller's book, was that imagined or real???
I was so lost in the transitioning, but yo, the acting, the dialogues, everything was just smooth and original.
Also, Cairo's switch up on her friend, Winnie, at the later part of the movie, was something I didn't see coming, but it blended seamlessly with the story.
Loners tend to do the craziest things because they have more time to scheme and plot unlike social butterflies or averagely normal people.
So I'd say it's understandable that she'd use her “best friend”, in the guise of helping her, to satisfy her vengeance.
Overall, I think Miller’s Girl is a great movie, I’d rate it a 10 even with the lines that are still blur to me.
I mean, do you know what it means getting art of two forms from another form of art?
That’s Miller’s Girl!
The reference to Gin Blossom — a musician- and Henry Miller was art promoting art cos now I have two books from Henry Miller on my shelf, and my ears have been plucked to Gin Blossom songs.
Is Miller's Girl A Must Watch?
Not everyone fancies literature or the use of it, but if you're looking for a fast-paced movie, with unconventional dialogues, pretty faces and great acting, then yes, Miller's Girl is a must watch for you.
Rate Miller's Girl Out Of A Ten
Well, as much as I have, out of purging adrenaline, rated it a ten, thinking more deeply now, I'd say Miller's Girl didn't raise a lot of emotions in me.
There wasn’t anger, there wasn’t shock, there wasn’t love, there wasn’t joy, pain, laughter, pity, lust…
I'd say the movie rode on intrigue as it's dominating stimulus…so I'd rate it an 8, cos it crushed even that one stimulus.
And that’s that from me on Miller’s Girl. Let me know what you think of the movie if you’ve seen it and if you’ve not, let me know if you will.
Don’t forget to clap! 👏
