Other than Blair constantly reminding us she is a poor, none of her peers see it fit to comment on her financial state in comparison to theirs or anyone else’s. Despite the pressure placed on her from the beginning, however, we have a wonderful shift away from bureaucracy there is no paperwork to fill in, no induction into the school, no formally assigned timetable, and it is a nod to Dr Umar Johnson who warns against legitimising the “white man’s paperwork.” There is a blatant disregard for safety at the school with only three present security guards, which is inspiring in its indication of this world being a utopia – with a sprinkle of gentrification. With only 27% of girls who win the lottery graduating, she embodies “existence is resistance”: a poor but pretty girl, she has nothing else but her wit, blonde hair, and her positive attitude to help her survive the cutthroat environment at the Charm School. From the moment she arrives, Blair’s character constantly challenges perceptions of appearances versus reality, a recurring motif throughout the film. “Look at me! I’m a waitress!” She laments, but it is only later when we begin to understand the sheer brilliance of this declaration. What stands out almost immediately when Blair arrives at the school is how out of place she is. And when Blair wins (which comes of course as no surprise) long-necked Emily soothes her sister’s uncertainty with a line which seems to herald Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ in its comment on equality: “Every girl’s a princess, some of them just have fancier crowns.” Emily, a child discontent with her station in life, and sporting a neck reminiscent of Candace Flynn, enters Blair without her permission or even knowing into the yearly lottery organised by the Princess Charm School, in which one lucky commoner is able to be swept up into a life of glitz and glam and be trained as a Lady Royal – a companion to a real Princess. The opening sequence, soundtracked by a sweet song which strains “You can tell she’s a princess, she doesn’t need a crown”, whilst uncovering a somewhat concerning precedent of ‘detection’ based on genetic science, is the perfect introduction to such a pleasantly provocative film.īlair Willows, a cute inner city poor who is truly the essence of the American dream, is a 17-year-old girl who works to provide a better life for her ailing mother and younger sister Emily. There is something which immediately draws us to Blair, a random but unassuming blonde who is independent enough to work but not too independent to forget her down-to-earth roots.
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