Review of Howl (2010) by Jeanine V — 22 Oct 2011

A film about the obscenity trial of Allen Ginsberg's most famous work that is split into several scenes. There is the trial itself in which several literary experts are asked whether this poem has any lierary merit, as if that could be quantified. There is also Ginsberg himself, played brilliantly by James Franco, being interviewed documentary style two years later. Then there is the 50s coffe house in San Francisco where he performs a reading interspersed with an animation of the whole poem. This sounds confusing but it works and captures the era and the hipster scene very well. It seems there is no end to the range of James Franco and this will be a cult film in years to come.

One of the best minds of his generation.