If you didn’t know that the story of “White Boy Rick” was true, you might still be fascinated by this gritty, fast-paced look at a city’s descent into the drug wars of the 1980s through the experience of one unlucky kid, a prelude to the tragic state of Detroit today.
But the story of Rick Wershe, which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival on Friday night, is true. He’s a teenage hustler (played by newcomer Richie Merritt) surviving on the streets of the ghetto. A regular in the neighborhood, he’s pressed into becoming a federal informant by a set of corrupt agents, and soon enough is running his own drug operation — all still as a teen.
Matthew McConaughey plays his father, Rick Sr., a seedy working-class stiff with slicked-back hair who sells guns out of the back of his car to make ends meet. But Rick is also a devoted dad who looks out for Richie, loves and protects him — though not always successfully (Ricky’s sister, played by Bel Powley, is already lost to the family as a crack addict).
The family unit is completed by Bruce Dern as the grandfather living next door.
Ricky is caught between the crooked cops, his downmarket dad, the local drug lords (who school him after an arrest on the difference between doing “white time” and “black time”) and the roiling culture of the street. But Merritt plays his character with a surprising dose of innocence. He’s not a killer and never even considers that route; he sells drugs as his only path out of poverty, even while dragging his sister out of a crack house.
The movie is a convincing prelude to the inner city nightmare of today: Guns abound. Criminals shoot up parties and bars. Kids watching TV in their living rooms end up dead.
Director Yann Demange (“Secret Diary of a Call Girl”) uses darkly lit interiors and a thumping background bass to create the daily tension that accompanies chronic poverty, and not-so-occasional killings of neighbors and friends. It’s to his credit that he lets the scenes play out in a way that feels unforced.
Jennifer Jason Leigh is a welcome presence as one of the corrupt federal agents — she’s half feral, the other half maternal.
But the shocking turn of the story is what happens once Ricky is arrested. It is here that the crushing injustice of the system he cannot change comes home. The final part of the film plays audio of the real-life Rick Wershe, who McConaughey said they spoke to all during the filming.
Said the actor during the Q&A at the Ryerson Theatre: “This story deserved to be told even if it was fiction, which it was not.” Sony will release the film on September 14.
12 Hottest Toronto Movies for Sale, From 'Wild Rose' to 'Vox Lux' (Photos)
Natalie Portman's "Vox Lux," Robert Pattinson's "High Life" and Kristen Stewart's "Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy" are just a few hot sales titles heading to the Toronto International Film Festival this week.
"Wild Rose" [UTA]
"Wild Rose" was the first title numerous industry players called their most anticipated movie of the festival. It follows a young musician from Glasgow who wants to become a star in Nashville. Julie Walters and Jessie Buckley star in the Tom Harper-directed film.
TIFF
"Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" [Voltage]
Zac Efron stars as one of America's most notorious serial killers, Ted Bundy, alongside Lily Collins, Jim Parsons and Kaya Scodelario. While it's not screening in competition, one major buyer told TheWrap, producers are screening the film outside the festival for potential suitors.
Getty Images; FBI
"High Life" [CAA]
Robert Pattinson has been quietly living in a post-“Twilight” renaissance for a few years now, with breakout performances in “Good Time” and “The Lost City of Z.” Which makes a film like Claire Denis' “High Life” all the more curious given how under-the-radar it’s been. Prospective buyers are intrigued by the cast (led by Pattinson) and the story: A group of criminals sent to space under dubious circumstances.
BFI Film Fund
"The Wedding Guest" [Endeavor Content/UTA]
Following his Oscar-nominated performance in "Lion," Dev Patel is back in "The Wedding Guest," which follows a man on a journey through India and Pakistan. Michael Winterbottom wrote and directed.
Revolution Films
"American Woman" [Endeavor Content]
Sienna Miller plays a woman who raises her young grandson after her daughter goes missing. With Christina Hendricks and Aaron Paul also is the cast, "American Woman" is sure to attract buyers.
Scott Free Productions
"Her Smell" [Endeavor Content]
Elisabeth Moss shines as Becky Something, a frontwoman for a '90s rock band, in a movie that also stars Amber Heard, Cara Delevingne, Virginia Madsen, Dan Stevens and Ashley Benson. Where are our "Handmaid's Tale" fans at?
Bow and Arrow Entertainment
"Vox Lux" [Endeavor Content]
In 2016, TheWrap exclusively reported that Brady Corbet's follow-up to his award-winning directorial debut, “The Childhood of a Leader," would be "Vox Lux." Described as “a 21st century story of Celeste, a pop star who comes to success as a result of unusual circumstances," the film stars Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe and Jennifer Ehle. It already premiered at the Venice Film Festival to stellar reviews -- currently, it is rated 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Venice Film Festival
"The Weekend" [UTA]
"Everything Everything" director Stella Meghie returns to TIFF with this blissful rom-com that stars "SNL" alum Sasheer Zamata. It follows a comedian who gets romantically entangled with three other people during a weekend getaway.
Homegrown Pictures
"A Million Little Pieces" [CAA]
In Sam Taylor-Johnson's first movie since "Fifty Shades of Grey," her husband Aaron Johnson stars alongside Charlie Hunnam and Billy Bob Thornton in an adaptation of James Frey's book that was originally marketed as a "memoir" of addiction but turned out to be heavily fictionalized.
"The Death & Life of John F. Donovan" [CAA]
This film is the long-awaited English-language debut by international film festival l'enfant terrible Xavier Dolan, as well as an anticipated leading man debut by "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington. The A-list cast also includes Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Thandie Newton, Jacob Tremblay and Ben Schnetzer.
Warp Films
"Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy" [CAA]
If you think Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern isn't the dream casting of the century, what actually is wrong with you? Justin Kelly directs the film based on the true story of a middle-aged woman who wrote novels under the guise of a teenage boy named JT LeRoy -- while her sister-in-law (Stewart) made public appearances as the author.
LBI Entertainment
"American Dharma" [Endeavor Content]
"Fog of War" and "Gates of Heaven" director Errol Morris is back with "American Dharma," which is a documentary portraying controversial Breitbart editor and former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
TIFF
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Toronto film market has awards bait, a Steve Bannon doc and lots of Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman's "Vox Lux," Robert Pattinson's "High Life" and Kristen Stewart's "Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy" are just a few hot sales titles heading to the Toronto International Film Festival this week.