I grew up in Westland, Michigan until moving to the small town of Howell, Michigan. Westland is about 15-20 miles from downtown Detroit and both cities are in Wayne County. My grandparents on my dad’s side remained in Detroit until their passing and saw the city go from a beautiful metropolis to a war zone because of the race riots. As a result, tensions and crime have remained a constant in the city. Like any conflict or war, there are undoubtedly people who try to capitalize on the situation. One such individual was a kid nicknamed White Boy Rick.
“White Boy Rick” is based on the true story of Rick Wershe Jr. and his father during the drug epidemic of the 80s in Detroit, Michigan. Rick Wershe Sr. and his son sold guns under the table which led Rick Jr. down the path be ends up on. After the FBI press his father, Rick Jr. agrees to become an informant for the bureau (he was the youngest informant in history at the age of 14). Rick sells drugs on the behave of the FBI and becomes a recognizable figure in the drug suppling underworld in Detroit (hence the nickname of White Boy Rick). Things go sour for Rick Jr. after local gangster Johnny Curry has Rick Jr. shot over fears he might be working for the feds. After Curry and his crew end up getting arrested, Rick Jr. lies low for awhile. After awhile however, White Boy Rick decides to sell cocaine again and lives large until the FBI arrest him and offer him a deal if he helps them with another big bust. Unfortunately for White Boy Rick, the FBI looked the other way at his trial and Rick was sentenced to life in prison.
White Boy Rick was a famous figure in Detroit and his story is well known. While no one regarded Rick Wershe Jr. as a saint, he was also a figure most thought got a raw deal. Rick spent roughly thirty years in prison and was the longest serving prisoner for a non violent crime. The movie depicts Rick Wershe Jr. as he was, a monster created by the system and then abandoned by the same system.
Richie Merritt plays the title character of Rick Wershe Jr. and does a convincing job of a kid who is manipulated by his father and then by the government. Matthew McConaughey received top billing as Rick Wershe Sr. but is in more of a supporting role. McConaughey does a fantastic job and even manages to tone down his accent and manage a passable midwestern accent. The movie hinges greatly on the performances of Merritt and McConaughey and they bring their A game.
Director Yann Demange manages to capture much of the atmosphere of late 80s Detroit despite it primarily being filmed in Cleveland. Some second unit shooting was down in Detroit and I do wish more iconic settings were featured like Eastern Market (I have fond memories of Eastern Market as a kid).
Of course, I have a bit of a personal connection to the movie because my grandparents lived near and knew Rick Wershe Sr. and Jr. They actually thought he was a relatively nice young man (though their judgement in character wasn’t particularly good as you might have figured). He had even been to their house as crazy as that sounds.
“White Boy Rick” received mixed reviews and the film isn’t perfect. Despite being fairly immersive, the film has some pacing issues and I do wish the film focused a bit more on the dynamic of the Wershe family. I have a feeling that is where a lot of the criticism regarding the film was derived from. While all of those complaints can be made, I feel like those complaints equate more to nitpicking in the scope of the rest of the film. Was the movie perfect? No. Was the movie better than the average film based on a true story? I personally think it was.
I would personally recommend “White Boy Rick” to anyone interested in Michigan history or fans of crime dramas. The film shows you the dark side of the city I spent a lot of my youth visiting and I lived near by. I have an admittedly soft spot in my heart for Detroit history and for better or worse, White Boy Rick will remain an important figure in that history.
Grade: B
No comments:
Post a Comment