Review of Howl (2010) by Mikhael T — 05 Nov 2010
James Franco's portrayal of Allen Ginsberg is almost creepily accurate. The movie has 4 main components - 1. Franco's Ginsberg giving a biographical interview (interspersed with flashbacks) on the day of the obscenity trial for his poem, Howl; 2.
The obscenity trial itself (which features brief but fantastic performances from Mary Louise-Parker, David Strathairm, Jeff Daniels, and Jon Hamm); 3. A reading of Howl by Franco's Ginsberg at a bar in New York; 4.
An animated montage representing different imaging in Howl while the poem is read aloud. Sometimes the animation can be distracting - other times it is right on. In the end, the film really feels more like a celebration of the poem than a nod to Ginsberg, but that may be the point.
It's a wonderful movie, and the oscar buzz about Franco's performance are well deserved.
This review of Howl (2010) was written by Mikhael T on 05 Nov 2010.
Howl has generally received positive reviews.
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