Review of Spring Breakers (2013) by Matthew Samuel M — 30 Dec 2013

It's a mixed bag. There are elements of Spring Breakers that filmgoers can admire. Firstly, the film editing and cinematography are well done and appropriately dreamy. Secondly, there are two astounding, albeit disturbing, sequences in the film that are brilliantly designed: the first one features the song "Everytime" by Britney Spears, and the second one is just as beautiful and haunting and concludes the film.

However, there are several problems that the film faces. The dialogue is unsophisticated, there are no remarkable performances--perhaps the exception being that of the versatile James Franco--and one never really gets to know these characters.

A lack of character development makes it quite easy to lose interest with the film when it lags. There are moments of shining cinematic genius, but Spring Breaker is ultimately dragged down by an unnecessary and frustrating drabness.

If there is any competition between Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring and Spring Breakers, Coppola wins hands down. Both are harsh social commentaries, but at least Coppola's gave you some sort of idea of whom the characters were and what they were thinking.

When this film wasn't engineering a dazzling sequence, we watched Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens blink and pout in neon lights. It's not saying much, despite its visual chicness.