Review of Howl (2010) by Sarah E — 22 Jun 2011

This movie had me at, "Fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy," and I'm glad it caught me. Howl is a film that's both too short and just right at the same time, likely because the screenplay and the acting are just too darn good to be kept to an hour while being excellent enough to more than satisfy a casual viewer.

There are three narratives are work in Howl: the first, an interview with Ginsberg (as performed by James Franco, whose work in this film finally proved to me that he can act, even if he was only born to play Ginsberg extraordinarily well); the second, the "Howl" trial, a courtroom drama peopled by so many wonderful, talented actors and filled with such stirring - albeit quiet - dialogue that it's absolutely engrossing; and third, an animated version of Howl, as read by Franco's Ginsberg, with imagery so moving and poignant - perfect compliments to Franco's brilliant reading - that the language of Howl becomes less about the meaning of the words and more about the sound of them, the expression of them, the exuberance behind them.

There's a lot of emotion in this tiny film, a lot of spirit and heart. It needed another hour to explicate fully and develop, but the hour and a half here will do just fine thanks to the incredible cast, the powerful screenplay, and of course, Ginsberg's poetry.