Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

This is a political film about race, sex and class, and it’s a reminder that nothing brings all these political issues into sharper focus than the question of having a baby. It’s a film with the power of youth.

Harris’ movie shows that girls like Chantel realty do struggle against the forces that seek to trap them, and that they are for more than just victims or statistics.

Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. isn't just another anything. It's a snapshot of a scene most people think they know, only as the camera gets closer, the picture changes. Even when the viewer laughs, which is often, the ground is subtly shifting.

Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. is an important debut, not only for Harris -- whose camerawork is impressively fluid and whose writing is smart... but for Arivan Johnson, who comes through with a bold, spunky performance.

Ariyan Johnson gives a firecracker performance as the ebullient Chantel, and the hip-hop soundtrack keeps the film bouncing.

Shrewd script and good acting throughout.

A firebrand debut performance from star Ariyan A. Johnson.

"Just Another Girl on the IRT," directed by Leslie Harris, won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance for its depiction of Black teen Chantel Mitchell who navigates the pressures of sex, parental expectations, friendship and eventually teen motherhood.



For a world that treats African-American girls as if they were invisible, Chantel is a reality check.

Harris' debut feature has a hipness and a feel for the language of the streets that isn't faked, and it's great to see a young black woman's point of view for once. But the direction is sloppy, much of the acting amateurish, and the film falls to pieces.