Howl--
One way I can tell if I like a movie is if I have to pause like 30 times to either write down a quote or contemplate the brilliant thinking of the writer or director. Howl made me do both of those things. It is a movie not about the Beats or about Ginsberg really, even though those two things act as a backdrop or catalyst to the whole of the movie. But the movie instead focuses on the obscenity trail of the poem Howl written by Allen Ginsberg and published by City Lights Books in 1957.
The movie offers a very good explanation of the writing of Howl and what Ginsberg was going through when he wrote various parts. It offers insights into parts of the poem that were not as clear before without a screen narrative to explain some of the events that shaped it.
James Franco does a very good job portraying Ginsberg and I was also happily surprised by Jon Hamm’s appearance in the movie as the lawyer defending Howl. I think he is a wonderful actor and does a great job in this role. The writing is top-notch you get a feel for both the trail, a better understanding of Howl itself and the importance that it played in the lives of many. The animation scenes done by Eric Drooker are very well done and work very well in the movie.
Whether you are a Beat fan, a Howl fan, or just a fan of good films this one is for you.
James Franco is a good actor, but other than the Spider-Man movies I do not really remember him in anything else. Then suddenly in the same year he does not one, but two limited release films that are both outstanding; not only for their subject, their writing, but for his acting.
Everyone who has even heard of this movie knows the basic story. 127 Hours is about this guy Aron Ralston who goes in the desert to explore caves and crevices then falls into one and his arm is pinned in between this huge boulder and the wall of the crevice. Then after being trapped this way for 127 hours and going through his own kind of psychological and physical hell, and finally cuts off his arm with a dull multi-tool blade to escape finally once again into the real world.
Most of the movie is done either in flashback/flash forward, or with him talking to his camcorder. I was not sure if I would like this technique when I first heard about the movie but Danny Boyle pulls this one off brilliantly as always. Very enthralling and keeps you glued to the screen and the edge of your seat for almost the entire movie.
As for the question everyone has asked “How is the scene where he cuts his arm off?” To answer it is not too gory although there is a little, because I mean after all he is cutting his arm off and with a very dull blade I may point out. But the blood, muscle, etc. were nothing compared to the sound effects when he had to cut the nerve. That was the part that really “hurt” the most from the audience point of view. This is the reason I also advise seeing this one in the movie theater for sure.
I left the theater with two lessons learned from this movie. 1.) ALWAYS tell someone where you are going and 2.) ALWAYS have a very sharp knife with you when you travel.
In addition to these two films I also recommend “The Last Time I Committed Suicide” and “Beat” both excellent films covering two other iconic Beat authors and their work. Reviews to come. I hope you have enjoyed my first movie reviews. I would like to do one a week at least. I will be not only reviewing new movies but also older movies too. Stay tuned for more and more!
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