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Amazon.co.uk Review
It’s not one of the higher profile projects for 127 Hours star James Franco and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm. Yet Howl is a movie that deserves not to be overlooked, and one that should find an audience on DVD.
The film is a biopic of Allen Ginsberg, the late American poet whose most famous work, Howl, gives this feature its title. Franco takes the role of Ginsberg, and acquits himself well, although the film is less successful in depicting the obscenity trial that surrounded the work itself. But it does get the story across reasonably well, and it’s when Franco and Hamm in particular are on screen that the film is at its most successful.
Howl offers quite a quiet treatment for a story that arguably deserves more, though, and that’s a surprise. There are some interesting choices made in the execution, but they never fully gel in the way you’d hope. And that leaves you firmly in the company of Franco’s performance for the film’s highlights. Fortunately, he delivers, and once more proves himself as one of Hollywood’s brightest emerging actors. Howl is worth seeing for a few reasons, but Franco is chief among them. --Jon Foster
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A hybrid film about Allen Ginsberg in a mix of documentary style, animation, black & white, monolog and poetry, specifically around the trial of his poems bundled in the book Howl. James Franco has grown into a convincing artistic poet figure here, his strongest role so far. A full 5-stars rating from me :-)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Impressionistic and episodic in structure, this film and James Franco's excellent acting are very effective in bringing to life Allen Ginsberg and the times in which he lived. Not a complete biography, it gives you a very clear taste of his anarchic, loving and very sexy spirit and to want to know more.
I saw him in real life only once, at the very first National Gay Rights March on Washington DC in 1978. Remarkably, a million people attended, and Allen was up there, on stage, reciting a poem in celebration of the event and feeling so jubilant that at times he had to jump up and down with joy! A lovely and loving man, he is truly a son of Walt Whitman in his celebration of life and love regardless of the boundaries set by others.
I saw him in real life only once, at the very first National Gay Rights March on Washington DC in 1978. Remarkably, a million people attended, and Allen was up there, on stage, reciting a poem in celebration of the event and feeling so jubilant that at times he had to jump up and down with joy! A lovely and loving man, he is truly a son of Walt Whitman in his celebration of life and love regardless of the boundaries set by others.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film soared any expectations i had of this movie. I love James Franco and am fascinated by the beat generation era but i was a little wary because of the poetry content and how much of it i would able to grasp, not being a poet or english major myself. But i was amazingly surprised i had no idea that there was such incredible visual animation to help you grasp the meaning behind the words.
The structure of the film is very interesting and appropriate, Split up into sections of descriptive animation, the obscenity courtcase that the poem faced, an interview with Ginsberg himself and endearing flashbacks of the past whilst Ginsberg talks about it.
The only flaw i would have to say about this film would be i found the animation took over the majority of the film but this could be justified because the film is about the poem HOWL and its important everyone hears all of it- it is very long- and is given the chance to understand where Ginsberg was coming from.
HOWL is a real gem of a film, something quite unique.
The structure of the film is very interesting and appropriate, Split up into sections of descriptive animation, the obscenity courtcase that the poem faced, an interview with Ginsberg himself and endearing flashbacks of the past whilst Ginsberg talks about it.
The only flaw i would have to say about this film would be i found the animation took over the majority of the film but this could be justified because the film is about the poem HOWL and its important everyone hears all of it- it is very long- and is given the chance to understand where Ginsberg was coming from.
HOWL is a real gem of a film, something quite unique.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
good enough for the bin
I am sorry but this is one of the worst film that I have ever seen, the plot, if there is one, is all over the place, and the animation sequences were just plain boring and I felt... Read more
Published 5 months ago by lyndon mills
romantic interpretation of the beats
The beats stand in the Romantic tradition, exploring consciousness. This film although very enjoyable tends to over-romanticise the beats' lives,though with somewhat saccharine... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. Robert Marsland
Excellent film!
The latest film i bought from amazon was called Houl and this film was really amaizing, specially if you are into the beatnicks and allen ginsberg. Read more
Published 9 months ago by EL
An account of Howl
This is a short film about the obscentity trial surrounding Howl and contains a dramatised interview of Allen Ginsberg which gives a partial account of Howl came about. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr. A. Fyfe
'Howl' and nothing more...
I wasn't bored by the film, nor did I lose interest at any point. But a few friends of mine that came with me to see it did, and I somewhat understand why. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Ben Fellini Rider
Beating controversy
Howl is a masterpiece of the late Allen Ginsberg. Written at a time of socail unrest and change this poem was tried to be banned by the authorities for not having any litrary... Read more
Published 14 months ago by law geek
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