Film Review #4: Spring Breakers

Harmony Korine, James Franco, Vanessa Hugeons, Ashely Benson, Selena Gomez and Rachel Korine at TIFF 2012

Spring Breakers is not a film that everyone will enjoy. It's probably not even a movie that most people will enjoy. The film was directed by Harmony Korine. This is the guy that brought us Gummo and Trash Humpers. He also directed the very controversial film Kids. Spring Breakers is by far his most commercially friendly movie. This is almost entirely due to the fact that it stars three young starlets; Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgeons and Ashley Benson. Harmony Korine's wife Rachel Korine rounds out the female cast.

The story follows the four main girls who desperately want to go on spring break. In order to finance this trip, three of them decide to rob a diner. They then hit the road and head to Florida where they enjoy a week of indulgent partying. However, the partying comes to a crashing halt when the girls are busted for doing drugs at one of the parties and are all arrested. Enter James Franco who plays a local rapper and drug dealer named Alien. He bails the girls out of jail and they join his gang in Florida. That's when the REAL fun begins. I don't want to give away a lot of the plot past this point because you really need to see it to believe it. Let's just say there is a scene that brings a whole new meaning to Britney Spears' Everytime.

The films dialogue is heavily improvised. I don't know that this film will completely allow these teen starlets to break out of their stereotyped roles but I think that it shows courage on their part to be apart of this risky film.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Is it ridiculous? Yes. Does it portray youth at their absolutely worst? Yes. But does it take itself seriously? No, of course not and that's what I most enjoyed about it. It does not pretend to be anything than what it is and we get that from the very beginning with a montage of real spring break footage. The film provides a fantastic sound track and cotton candy visuals. It is film self indulgence at its best.

Spring Breakers opens in all theatres on March 5, 2013.

Film Review #3: On the Road

Walter Salles, Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Dunst and Kristen Stewart at TIFF 2012

At this year's Toronto International Film Festival, I was able to see the North American premiere of On the Road. Directed by Walter Salles (director of The Motorcycle Diaries), the film provides the most commercial retelling of Jack Kerouac's popular cult novel. The film stars Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund as Sal and Dean respectively. Kristen Stewart plays the promiscuous Marylou. Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi and Elizabeth Moss also make small appearances throughout the film.

The film has received a lot of criticism before it even came out. Many people believed (and likely still will after seeing the film) that it is impossible to transfer Kerouac's work onto the big screen. The novel lacks any real linear story and is told in a kind of stream of consciousness. This is Salles biggest obstacle to overcome and you can definitely feel points in the film where it is evident that he has fallen a bit short.

There are two great aspects of this film. First, the acting by Riley and Hedlund are truly magnificent. They both completely embody their characters. Riley is thoughtful and sincere and Hedlund is devastatingly charismatic. I also thought that Stewart's portrayal of Marylou was commendable. She was able to hold her own with the two strong male leads. Second, the cinematography is breathtaking. We know from The Motorcycle Diaries that Salles has a true gift for portraying landscapes and On the Road is no different. The scenery of both the American landscape as well as the hedonistic dens that the characters inhabit is delightful to watch.

However, these two things alone do not make a great film. The story definitely dragged and there just didn't seem to be enough material for everyone to work with. While the two main characters are brilliant, it seems as though everyone around them are merely there to support them.

On the Road will be in theatres on December 21, 2012 (limited release).