Like its industrious young heroine who reasons that “paid fellatio isn’t that much more humiliating than flipping burgers,” this American indie likes to flirt with danger but isn’t sure what to do when the situation gets serious. Though David Ross’ first feature has some sting, this tale about a high-school-age Heidi Fleiss is not as provocative as it might appear, ultimately revealing less about venality, sexuality and amorality among today’s teens (and their parents) than the average episode of My Super Sweet 16.

Meek, naive and smitten with her favourite babysitting client, Shirley (Katherine Waterston) wises up to the financial possibilities after Michael (John Leguizamo) gives her a few extra twenties for services that the girl had performed for free. Before long, she has organized her very own prostitution ring, pairing her friends with neighbourhood dads. Even though the clients are strictly of the harmless variety, the scheme inevitably goes wonky, especially after a bacchanalian “field trip” to one dad’s cabin.

It’s easy to imagine the depths of depravity that Larry Clark would’ve descended to with the same premise, so Ross’ relative sense of restraint almost seems fresh. But the tone of his film constantly wavers between semi-comic and semi-tragic, leaving viewers to wonder whether Shirley is worth our condemnation or admiration. Of course, it could be both, and would be more convincingly so in a less tentative and more ruthless sort of movie.

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