Cusp

In the West, we think that we treat women respectful and equal. We think of Islam as treating women as slaves or at best, 2nd rate citizens. But "Cusp (2021)" shows clearly that America isn't all that different from Islam. Or, what Westerners like to tell themselves is Islam. "Cusp" follows three 15-16 year old Texan girls (Brittney, Autumn and Aaloni), on the cusp of womanhood. It seems that the film makers met these three teens through a sexual assault group therapy for teens in rural Texas. Both Brittney and Autumn are part of the 85-90% group of **** victims: they have been **** by people they knew: family friends, who were friends with one or both of their parents. Autumn was **** by her mother's best friend ("he used to watch me. But she doesn't care") [what he did to Autumn]. This is the reason she lives with her father. Brittney has been **** by her father's childhood buddy. The relationship between the two men isn't made entirely clear, or, I've missed it. Aaloni has an absentee father, who is in the military and who has been in Afghanistan for many years. The problem here is that when he gets back, he wants to completely lord over his family, and Aaloni doesn't accept that no more. Things come to ahead during her sisters 13th birthday when her dad (who's never shown) tells her sister that her bare midriff shirt is too revealing. Aaloni explodes: who does this man think he is? We get the impression her father acts more like a dictator who orders his family around than a parent who protects and listens. Aaloni's relationship with boys her own age isn't that much better: "You can say no to boys all you want, but in the end they're gonna get their way" she says. When asked why that is, she replies "boys are very powerful". Autumn, equally, is disappointed by her older boyfriend who promised her to not have sex with her but: "I guess, apparently that one time, he forgot all about his promise." The impression this documentary leaves of how American teen girls are treated is pretty bleak. They are subject to either outright ****, or forced into having unwanted sex before they are ready to do that, often with boys they consider their boyfriends. One might claim they are an exception, but recent news stories of white men who get away with ****, either because they're rich, in a position of power over those women or well known or all three, are seeping through to the media. Like trump, Larry Nassar (**** American gold medal gymnast girls) and SCOTUS judge B. Kavanaugh (**** student girls he got drunk), we get the distinct impression these cases go under-reported. It's almost as if the American patriarchy-media complex doesn't like to report about white males who **** their daughters and sisters. Or other girls who are in their immediate family or their circle of friends. The ending of "Cusp", a glossy MTV-styled quick montage of happy flashes of the good times the girls dó have, and which also shows their friendship with each other and with other female adults, seems somewhat out of touch. I guess the filmmakers wanted to end on a positive note and give the viewer with a bit of optimism. 8 oth 10. The Melancholic Alcoholic.