In Shakespeare’s Romeo
and Juliet there is a line of dialogue that goes, “What’s
in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”
I mention this, as I believe this film was given an unfair stigma before it was
even seen because of two of the names attached to it: Franco and Coppola. James
Franco is often seen as a joker. As an actor he has played many comedic roles,
some of which have been very lowbrow. However, he is also a respected academic.
He has lectured at New York University (NYU) and has had a collection of short
stories published.
Coppola on the other hand has the
tarnish of being the granddaughter of one of the most iconic American
filmmakers of the 1970s, in the form of the director of The Godfather (1972) Francis Ford Coppola. It is often very
difficult for a family member of a successful person to step out of their
parents (or in this case grandparents) shadow. Many instead choose to use a
pseudonym or alternative name: an example of this being Duncan Jones, the
filmmaker and son of music icon David Bowie. Yet Gia (to her credit) hasn’t
done this. She has chosen to step up to the plate (as they say) and stand on
her own to feet. Has she been able to do this? Well, lets discuss it.
Palo
Alto is a melancholic, yet strangely
grounded look at the lives of a group of teenagers in Palo Alto, California. Through
the earlier advertisements for this film you may have been led to believe that
this was a drama about a young girl and her relationship with her teacher, but
you’d be mistaken. It’s actually a kind of mosaic examining the lives of
multiple students who interact with each other over a short period of time. Each
of the students has his or her own issues to deal with and are one way or
another stuck under their feelings of angst and societal pressures.
So far that synopsis may have made the
film sound like a kind of standard (generic) teen drama. However, what separates
this teen drama from others of a similar kind is the level of emotional depth
and intricacy each character has and displays. The characters don’t act like
the kinds of archetypes that often permeate this sort of teen fiction. They
think, they react and do things that are more morose and naturalistic. There’s
no huge revelations, no over the top emotional moments unless a particular
character is placed in a position where the natural reaction to do so is being
presented.
The acting is also great in this film. James Franco is fine
as a sleazy sports coach, but it was Emma Roberts, Jack Kilmer and Nat Wolff
who really stole the show. Not forgetting a strong performance by Zoe Levin as
the somewhat aloof yet promiscuous Emily. I’d go into more details, but their
actions speak much louder than my words here ever could.
In a way, the film played like a much more naturalistic, almost
documentary esque version of The Perks of
Being a Wallflower (2012). Whilst I liked The Perks of Being a Wallflower,
there was an American indie film feel to it that gives you the feeling that
what you’re watching is a show: a fictional movie so to speak.
Visually the film was good. It had a nice look and framing
to its compositions, with a nice use of colour and lighting. There wasn’t
anything ground breaking here, but what was done was done well with tact and a
sensible amount of style.
As a debut feature, Palo
Alto was a very intelligent and well-made drama. It showed off some great
craftsmanship in both its style and content. And I believe that if more people
gave this film a watch that many of them would have a thoroughly pleasant time.
It’s a well-written, well-acted and interestingly directed teen drama, which
rises above the everyday and is in itself something quite special.
No comments:
Post a Comment