Redundant and unnecessary.

Powerful

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

If there was one truly great thing about "Just Another Girl On The I.R.T.", it's the incredibly realistic dialogue. This fact is especially remarkable when considering that most of the film's cast haven't acted in a film previously, including Ariyan A. Johnson, who plays the protagonist, Chantel Mitchell. Not only is the dialogue funny at times and poignant at others, but it's almost as if you're in New York City listening in on real people's conversations. Any other movie with as low a budget or as unknown and as amateur a cast would have had dialogue that was wooden or may have sounded forced.No one can critique this film without mentioning the character who represents "Just Another Girl", namely Chantel. Chantel is certainly not "just another girl", as she makes perfectly clear when she breaks the fourth wall. The best thing about Chantel, and what some critics (especially on this site) don't seem to understand about her, is that she is a complicated, round character. At her best, she's ambitious, hard-working, clearly very smart, and incredibly charismatic. However, she clearly makes some wrong choices in this movie which most viewers probably look at in dumbfounded awe. The reactions that Johnson reflects upon realizing those wrong choices are very familiar and genuine.There is unfortunately very little written about Johnson's life and background anywhere on the Internet, which may account for her strong, believable debut performance in this movie. However, Johnson plays this complicated character so convincingly that it's hard to believe this is her feature film debut. She has since had noticeable supporting roles in two critically acclaimed features ("Bulworth" in 1998, and "The General's Daughter" in 1999), but hasn't acted in a movie or TV show since 2004. To say she is an underrated actress is indeed an understatement, and I would love to see her appear in another film sometime soon.Of course, the plot is something which other reviewers on this site have been critical about. Although it is true that the plot is somewhat unusual, it's not exactly a bad thing when the plot of a movie can't be explained in one sentence. If anything, plot complication can be a valuable asset to a film, and "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." is certainly no exception.But then again, a number of Spike Lee's films had similar non-linear plots. This film reminded me of something Spike Lee would have directed not just because it had a majority African-American cast. This film drew parallels to "She's Gotta Have It" with a strong, independent female protagonist, the constant breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience, and the frank discussions about sex. It also reminded me of "Crooklyn" and "Do The Right Thing", along with a number of character-driven films by Jonathan Singleton.I'm not so sure if this was a film "Hollywood didn't dare to make", as stated in the closing credits. After all, Spike Lee revolutionized black cinema, and is still no stranger to controversy with the messages in his films. Plus, the issue of teen pregnancy has been dealt with in cinema before (e.g., 1989's "For Keeps") and since (2007's "Juno"). So what Leslie Harris meant by that statement is unclear to me, and did actually come off as a bit cocky.Still, this film deserves a lot of credit for its dialogue, characterization, and uniqueness in its own right. Ariyan Johnson brought a lot to this film which other actresses with her experience may not have been able to handle. It's too bad director Leslie Harris didn't make a follow-up feature, or even a sequel. But still, to make a mark on Hollywood with a film like this, even if it's only one time, is quite the accomplishment. I just wish more people could see this film.I was fortunate to find a used DVD of this film in a local music store. I only paid about $7 for it, and it remains a priceless addition to my DVD collection.

Seldom do I see a movie which makes me scream for the death of the lead character, but this one did. I'm not quite sure if the point was to criticize the urban African-American "culture" of materialism and irresponsibility, but the net effect was to suggest that Chantel deserved all the heartache she got and then some. If you enjoy watching a totally irresponsible, self-centered, terminally attitudinal nut case mess up her life, this is the flick for you. Supposedly, she is intelligent and studious, but the film doesn't back that up, because everything she does is colossally stupid. This movie could be used by white supremacist groups to justify neglect of inner city youth; the folks in this flick don't seem to be that badly off (the high school looks positively middle-class compared to some of those in Los Angeles), but they resolutely disregard every opportunity that blows their way.

Let me say that I would imagine that I am the target audience for this film. By this, I mean that I am not a young, economically challenged African-American woman living in an urban area, since I would imagine that that particular demographic does not need to be made aware of the difficulties they face on a day to day basis. That said, I did not feel Leslie Harris did the best job in trying to bring these issues across. As others have said, I found the main character to be thoroughly unpleasant. While flawed characters can be more interesting to watch, their character strengths should be far less superficial for them to merit any sympathy or empathy from the viewer (i.e., just being intelligent and ambitious is not enough for me to like a character).Also of note is the amateurish acting, which truly detracts from the viewing experience. The documentary-style camerawork could have added to the feeling of verisimilitude, but coupled with the acting, it constantly draws attention to the fact that the viewer is watching a film. I understand certain allowances must be made when watching low-budget independent films, but the filmmakers should have realized that today's audiences are spoiled and have little patience for elements that feel unnatural.I also take issue with the film's ending, which rings completely false in light of everything that has preceded it. One person compared it to the seemingly tacked-on happy endings from melodramas of the past. The problem with that logic is the fact that those endings were imposed by the studio and sometimes by censors. This is an independent film (one "Hollywood dared not do") and can take the risk of having the ending that fits best.I have heard it suggested that all the elements I have called attention to were aesthetic choices by the filmmakers. To that, I must say that, if this is so, it causes the film to be rather self-defeating. To call attention to the film's artifice, thereby pulling the viewer out of the story, causes them to view it as just another light show on a screen. It can be safely viewed as just a film, all thoughts of it depicting reality left aside.Films are often attacked for being too manipulative. Here is a film that is not manipulative enough. If a filmmaker wants an audience to be able to identify with a situation she/he should take great pains to make certain they are not taken out of the film throughout. While I admire the fact that Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. tries to show me a world I have minimal knowledge of, it did not involve me enough to give the subject matter much of a second thought after the credits rolled. Instead, I just kept thinking about its quality as a film.

This is a story of success and failure in the BIG CITY! Ariyan Johnson a talented actress shows what a strong black women really is! All of the performances are great! But it is Ms. Johnson that truly shines! After seeing her for a brief time on "The Steve Harvey Show" a few years back she has disappeared! Rent this film and get a real taste of life in the BIG CITY!*****