Netflix's 'Tall Woman' wants far more of Anjelika Washington's Fareeda

When Netflix launched a trailer for its new unique movie Tall Woman on the finish of August, Twitter had a field day (because it's wont to do). Customers throughout the location took sides: shut down, vehemently defend, or try and see some semblance of worth within the movie. Some identified that the movie's protagonist, Jodi, is a white, cisgender, heterosexual, (tall) lady, and that the movie ostensibly overlooks precise marginalized teams extra deserving of onscreen illustration. In the meantime, allies of tall women all over the place identified that being a six-foot-tall girl may be troublesome, and praised the movie's premise for telling a narrative that many may establish with. 

Whereas I agree that Tall Woman missed its alternative to current groundbreaking visibility for underrepresented teams, the movie does not break any guidelines or inform a dangerous story marketed for teenagers that crosses the road between satire and insult (I am you, Insatiable). And, if you look previous all of the teenybopper, rom-com tropes — and there are loads of them! — Tall Woman has its deserves, particularly, Anjelika Washington's character, Fareeda, Jodi's sage and constant greatest pal.

The movie follows Jodi's journey towards self-confidence — "all 73 inches" of herself, as Fareeda says. Jodi's internal circle additionally contains her pal Dunkelman (Griffin Gluck); her sister, Harper (Sabrina Carpenter); and her dad and mom, performed by Angela Kinsey — sure, that Angela — and Steve Zahn. 

Ava Michelle's efficiency is strong. There is a quiet authenticity to her portrayal of a woman who's lived her complete life being ridiculed for the way tall she is. In her case, artwork imitates life: When Michelle was a tween, she appeared on Lifetime's Dance Moms and was bullied by Abby Lee Miller for her height. On the fact TV sequence, the dancer-turned-actor shared that she was extremely damage by Miller's feedback, and that she'd skilled an outpouring of cyberbullying on account of her stature. Although Michelle has simply gotten her begin as a movie and TV actor, the depth with which she portrays Jodi's insecurities ring true.

All through the movie, Jodi's self-acceptance is principally manifested through her romantic prospects. When Gluck's Dunkelman, a self-proclaimed quick king who professes his love for her every day, is Jodi's solely choice, she feels her top is magnified by how a lot taller she is than him. So, she loathes herself and does not even view her lovable pal as an choice.

Enter Stig (Luke Eisner), a Swedish change scholar who's even taller than Jodi (the joke right here is that Michelle's Jodi is definitely 6' 1', that means Eisner's Stig is rather more of your common tall man than a jolly Swedish large). As soon as Jodi realizes she would possibly even have a shot with a tall man, she begins carrying make-up, releases her lengthy hair from its signature tight ponytail, and usually presents as "look-at-me-because-I-look-good Jodi," to cite Fareeda once more. I might've relatively seen her settle for herself only for the hell of it, relatively than accomplish that as a result of the "acceptable" man lastly got here alongside. However what occurs is in line for a narrative a couple of protagonist whose insecurities are fueled by fixed feedback made by these round her.

Amid the various ups and downs that make up the movie's oversaturated plot (Jodi's transient courtship along with her longtime bully, her sister's upcoming magnificence pageant and power allergy symptoms, Jodi and Stig's Guys and Dolls duet), Fareeda makes a concerted effort to encourage Jodi to embrace her variations. At one level, Fareeda explicitly calls Jodi out for continually searching for exterior validation as a substitute of wanting inward for it. In response, Jodi tells off her greatest pal, and that is when Fareeda basically disappears from the movie. 

Washington's absence is palpable, and you may't blame her character for setting boundaries with Michelle's. Presumably, Fareeda has expended loads of power through the years to make Jodi really feel higher about herself, whereas Jodi neglects to do any of the work. As proven in Tall Woman, not solely does Fareeda stand as much as Jodi's tormentors, she's emotionally supportive, tells Jodi to "roll with it," and invitations her to bounce away her worries. 

The imbalance of their friendship is acknowledged within the movie: At one level, Fareeda ponders what it might be like "to go to lunch with [her] associates and have them ask [her] about [her] issues” aloud. As soon as she's gone from Jodi's life, the film lacks the oomph it had when Fareeda frequented its scenes as a confident, badass, assured teenager clever past her years. When Fareeda re-appears in the course of the ultimate 10 minutes of the movie, fabulously dancing alone on the homecoming dance in an enviable fringed and sparkly frock, I breathed a sigh of aid. Not solely is she a voice of purpose, Fareeda is among the solely characters you'll be able to root for. Washington's efficiency was a welcome reprieve from the remainder of Tall Woman's teenage chaos.

On the movie's shut, Fareeda takes Jodi again after Jodi publicly repents for her misgivings and proclaims her newfound self-confidence. Whereas narratives about studying to like your self for who you might be are vital, I used to be much more affected and impressed by Fareeda's advanced, self-reliant perspective, poise, and stoic skill to unwaveringly really feel herself always. Finally, I might've relatively seen an hour and 42 minutes of her story.